Feeling the flow
As a calm breeze blew along Waverly Avenue on Wednesday evening, students in summer outfits lined up outside Schine Underground for the latest Bandersnatch concert of the semester. Indeed, a live show seemed like a proper ending to a long day of nice weather. Featured act Parachute proved to be just what everyone needed — an exciting and interactive rock band playing good, fun music.
The positive vibes from the day carried over into Schine Underground leading up to the show. ‘It’s a nice break — a nice escape — from the stress of the week,’ said senior advertising major Hilary Smith. As the concert began, blue light beamed down from the ceilings, creating a comfortable atmosphere for the night’s acts.
Initially, the crowd didn’t know what to expect from opening act White Picket Fence. But soon enough, the band’s diverse appearance, crunchy guitar riffs and inventive breakdowns encouraged the audience to clap their hands and move to the rhythm. By the end of the set, White Picket Fence reached a synergy with themselves and the audience, leading to strong applause.
‘They were good, for a new band,’ said Lizzie Rosin, a freshman in the College of Visual and Performing Arts.
During the half-hour break between acts, students sat down on the ground and kicked back, as if it were an outdoor summer show. Soon after, the blue lights dimmed, the crowd broke out into cheer and a resounding ‘Whatup, Syracuse?’ came booming through the speakers.
The lights kicked in and Parachute broke out with ‘All That I Am,’ the first track from their latest album, ‘Losing Sleep.’ Lead singer Will Anderson stood confidently with his microphone, belting out the song’s lyrics as the crowd packed close to the stage to sing along.
Parachute embraced the intimacy, as Anderson moved between his keyboard setup and his standing microphone. The band quickly transitioned into ‘She (For Liz),’ a funky Maroon 5-esque song. Heads bobbed up and down, back and forth as the song cranked up the energy level. Anderson showed off his versatility, pulling out his red guitar for an end solo that added additional flair.
Crisp drums and clean lead guitar from Nate McFarland led the way as the band changed into ‘Words Meet Heartbeats.’ Here, Parachute displayed an impressive degree of cohesion and unity on stage: Will Anderson sang passionately as the group members played their respective instruments with style and control, always remaining in sync with one another.
Anderson then sat down to his keyboard and slowed the pace down with the piano ballad ‘Mess I Made.’ Purple lights shone down across the stage as devoted fans in the crowd sang along to the chorus.
A soulful saxophone intro by Kit French led the crowd into ‘Back Again,’ which shifted the show into a higher gear. The band rocked out hard, breaking down into a bridge that had Anderson inviting the crowd to a game of sing-along.
They then kicked into a cover of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ classic ‘Refugee.’ The song featured excellent guitar work from McFarland, but a lack of crowd participation was a bit surprising and disappointing.
The cover of Phil Collins’ ‘In the Air Tonight’ fared much better. A spacey, ambient intro to the song built up the tension as fans joined the singing.
Anderson then took a break in between songs to thank Bandersnatch for putting on the show and express his intentions to party and hang out for the night. Audience members yelled out ‘Flip Night!’ in jubilance, inviting Parachute to share the fun at Faegan’s Café & Pub.
The band launched into signature hit ‘She is Love’ as front-row dwellers whipped out their iPhones to record the performance.
Parachute wrapped up its set fittingly with ‘Under Control,’ which reinforced the band’s structured, cohesive style of performance. Multi-colored lights flickered around the stage as people swayed and danced.
The band exited to resounding cheers, and a successful, enjoyable evening concluded. After Bandersnatch brought Miike Snow to Schine Underground last week, Parachute proved to be a great addition to the series’ lineup. With cheery spirits and satisfied expectations, audience members left Schine Underground to a calm spring evening.
Published on April 7, 2010 at 12:00 pm
