Dan DaranciangThe Hatch have disappeared. Gone are the days of campus celebrity and late-night Friedman Lounge gigs, packed to the brim with appreciative underclassmen. The skateboard-toting pop-star hipsters have vacated their Wash. U. home to return to their L.A. roots, leaving a noticeable hole in the often-stale WU campus music scene. So who will replace the Hatch as Wash. U.’s main campus band? Here are a few bands who aspire to WU campus glory.
Major A
On the surface, there doesn’t seem to be much in common between campus rockers Major A and their predecessors, the Hatch. Major A plays self-described “mentally handicapped pop-punk,” while the Hatch once graced the campus with their melodic brand of inoffensive guitar pop. But the Hatch have an unlikely fan in Major A drummer Blake Abrash: “Freshman and sophomore year, I went to almost every one of their shows…because the Red Sea was one of the few places around campus that served alcohol to minors.”
Major A are Abrash, Ben Ewing on bass, Matt Ullrich on lead guitar and recent Wash. U. graduate Jeremy Weissman on rhythm guitar and vocal duties. After a year of playing gigs ranging from Small Group’s Black Box theater to the Creepy Crawl, and an extended run in the studio with Ullrich at the helm, Major A are poised to take the campus music scene by storm. That is, after vocalist Jeremy Weissman returns from a long hiatus of roaming the country in search of enlightenment.
With the band’s first LP nearing completion and Weissman’s return on the horizon, the band’s prospects are better than ever. They’ve garnered the attention of the St. Louis music community through their Web site (www.stlscene.com/MajorA), but have set their sights on the Wash. U. scene, still reeling from the Hatch’s departure.
They’ve taken a few cues from the once reigning Wash. U. rockers, too. Abrash keenly noted the LA boys’ clean-cut appearance attracted more females to their shows, which is necessary for a successful party environment: “We can get more girls now that Ben shaved his beard, and that was an essential part of the Hatch.” You won’t be seeing Major A in matching sweater vests anytime soon, though…one look at the band’s blog shows they’re less about posture and more about raw energy, even if it causes a little controversy every once in a while.
Arms Akimbo
What do you get when you put six guys together with hands on hips and elbows bent outward? You get the band Arms Akimbo, or something close to that. Arms Akimbo has been together at Washington University for about a year and includes members Cody Elam (guitar), Dan Katz (drums), Duncan Ward (bass), John Mancuso (trumpet), Norm Williamson (saxophone) and Dan Koff (percussion). This talented group of musicians plays a variety of styles, including songs from the funk music of bands like Galactic or Stevie Wonder to the jazz of Herbie Hancock, maybe with a little reggae spliced in the set or some classic rock like Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child of Mine.” With a newly learned set of material at their backs, Arms Akimbo is a band that surely encourages plenty of dancing with the high energy at which they perform.
The immediate strength of Arms Akimbo lies in their musicianship, each member equally talented in taking various solos throughout the night. Also, for those who have a fever for the cow bell, Arms Akimbo definitely provides with the added percussion of Dan Koff. The ability of the members to play off one another and their visible enjoyment in playing together exudes an energy into the crowd that creates an enjoyable and fun experience when listening to the band. The main weakness of Arms Akimbo is their lack of a permanent singer, which could only add more to this already capable band. They are not shy to invite crowd members to help sing along to some of their songs, but with a solid singer the band could become all the better. However, Arms Akimbo is a fun band to listen to and is certainly worth checking out this school year.
Checkpoint
A cover band is like that dependable friend who comes in and out of life. Never overbearing or too intense, it can be called upon when needed, without the awkwardness of having been apart for so long. Checkpoint is Washington University’s cover band. Formed last spring by David Weintraub (guitar), Jeff Stepp (keyboard), Yoni Sarason (drums), and Phil Bressler (bass), the band has quickly made a name for itself. It plays what audiences want to hear. It injects energy into the dullest of settings.
As the members of the band are quick to point out, a cover band is only as good as the sum of its parts. Between the original four members and their new lead singer, Rob Dandorph, the band claims to have over 75 years of combined musical experience. “We’re probably the most talented [band in the school],” Bressler said. Talent and experience, for a cover band, is essential. With a list of past gigs that ranges from Relay for Life and Mr. Wash U to fraternity parties, the band depends on being popular crowd-pleasers. Their repertoire, appropriately, includes covers of most of the pop bands nostalgic and inebriated college kids request: Journey, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Guns N’ Roses, Eddie Money, Dispatch and Warren G. Beyond a prepared set list, Checkpoint has the experience and ear to provide just the right amount of spontaneity. “We can, usually, field requests without any problem,” Weintraub said. He added, “There’s nothing we all like more than playing in front of people, and the covers are part of that. We play songs that are good for partying. Why? Because it’s the most amount of fun.”
After a little over a semester of pleasing its fans with recognizable covers, the band would like to start writing more originals this year. “We’d like to be a real band that plays real songs,” Stepp said. “The problem is we don’t have the time.” The lack of time was evident in their practice session. Effortlessly hitting all the right notes when practicing their covers, the band grew noticeably uneasy when it came to trying out an original, “No Regrets.” Written by Dandorph, the band wondered why he wasn’t singing his own song. “I forgot most of the lyrics,” he said.