It takes balls to be in a Washington University band. You have some things working for you: the optimistic energy of forming a college band, a built in fan base of friends, a whole university’s worth of gigs to book. But you have much more working against you: the eye-rolling clich‚ of being in a college band, a fan base of friends who have heard your band play a million times but are too nice to tell you they’re sick of it, a slew of less than glamorous gigs in dorms, Ursa’s, Center Court, Mallinckrodt-you get the idea.
When you get booked outside the University, it’s at Cicero’s or the Red Sea. Maybe a gig or two at Off Broadway, but your fan base is less likely to show up there because it’s 21+ and University fans are notorious for a) not wandering more than two miles away from the University, and b) not being twenty-one. Perhaps harder bands might open a show or two at the Creepy Crawl, and if they’re lucky, snag a gig at hipster joints like the Way Out Club or Frederick’s Music Lounge.
But most University bands are happy to play Sounds of the Swamp, open a side stage at WILD, kick it at the KWUR semi-formal and call it a night. For those with ambitions beyond our ivy-covered fa‡ades, it’s an uphill battle. And it takes balls.
Jesse Macht, founding member and guitarist for the University-based band The Hatch, has balls. He proved this with a much-deserved e-mail to me last month that criticizing my coverage, or lack thereof, of the local music scene. He had hoped “that there would be more consistent articles about campus bands” in Student Life. “There are a variety of bands that play,” he said, “and although they may not be developed, there are stories to be had.” After reminding him about past features concerning campus bands such as Sac Lunch and the Ugly Man Contest, Macht reminded me about the lack of past features concerning campus bands like Alisdair, Rosewood, Form Follows Failure, Contraband, Last Minute, and oh, yes, The Hatch.
Macht is a skilled writer, and one can only suppose his talent extends beyond his impassioned emails to his songs. I have a demo CD by The Hatch, one they handed out last spring during an impromptu gig outside of Mallinckrodt. I have demos by Sac Lunch, I’ve been to Sounds of the Swamp, Alisdair band members call me before their shows-I support local music! Really! But Macht is right. Cadenza needs to have more of a focus on University bands, and in fact we are, with the help of our Web designer, looking into starting a campus band Web page where bands can post pictures, bios, mp3s, links to their Web site and more. I’m starting a “Campus Band of the Month” feature in this column that will profile one of our talented University bands and enlighten the student body.
“There are stories to be had,” argues Macht, and he’s right. So happy November to The Hatch, the very first band of the month!
The Hatch is Macht, keyboardist Sean Douglas, bassist Todd Rubin and drummer Austin Schumacher. They play regular gigs in Los Angeles in addition to St. Louis, and recorded their first set of demos (doubtless the one that is playing in my room right now) last spring. Their sound? They started out as an acoustic trio, and an element of that stripped-down lucidity still touches their pop-rock sound. But the band has made a concerted effort to rock out this past year, and now tinges their literate songs with solid rock beats and funkier rhythms. If you like the do-it-yourself funk rock of Maroon 5, you will not be disappointed by the Hatch. And Macht’s voice is killer, really solid and built, very expressive.
The Hatch scored regular Wednesday night gigs at the Red Sea this semester, the last of which is tonight. So if you fall into the category of students who have never seen The Hatch, never leave campus, or leave campus sometimes but not to see The Hatch, this is your night. If you have some massive paper to write, and Lord knows you probably do, worry not: The Hatch plays Cicero’s on Wednesday, December 3rd. Their sense of humor alone (thehatchmusic.com pokes fun at Cicero’s notorious pro-jam band line-up, calling themselves “the first band at the venue to play a song shorter than four minutes in length”) is reason enough to catch this show. An overdue props to The Hatch from their peers is yet another.
Live music is live art. Be a part of it.
You are aware of who these boys are right?! Jesse is the brother of Gabriel Macht and Sean is the son of Michael Keaton!!! I hope you all took advantage of seeing them while they were at your school…they are truly fantastic!
Is it possible to get a copy of that demo cd? I had one after they performed at the pageant circa 2003, but I have no idea where it went. The Hatch was such a good band.