2008 Woodie Awards
Senior campus band The Quelle Source play last Java Jamm
David King '08
Issue date: 4/2/08 Section: Entertainment
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The Java Jam event featured three bands, but with quite a bit of crossover between them. From the time that three-piece ensemble Jesus Pizza took the stage at 9 p.m. to the time The Quelle Source played their encore two hours later, some musicians had hardly left the stage, other than to switch instruments or run to the water cooler and back.
But the musicians may have been the only thing that remained constant between acts.
Jesus Pizza opened the night, playing more as a novelty band than anything else. The crowd was lukewarm and polite, but remained firmly planted in their seats.
(And while it may be unfair to judge bands on their stage banter, this one's was particularly cringe-inducing.)
An exciting moment when the band brought a banjo on stage was quelled (pun sort-of intended) when it turned out to be totally inaudible, drowned out by guitar.
Next on the stage was Leslie Vestman and the Bourgeoisie, again comprised of shared members. LV is listenable, but their on-stage antics were contrived and seemed to be more for their own amusement than for their listeners'.
Leslie Vestman were at their best playing sugary sweet pop, and achieved on some tracks a rarity for student bands: the elusive catchy keyboard line. Although it left you wishing it would build up to something, the keyboards made for a much more enjoyable experience than most student bands.
One puzzling aspect of the band, however, was the vocals. Lead singer Addison Lilholt, '08, was frequently singing his own backing vocals. This works for when you need to break out a rendition of "Bohemian Rhapsody" in the shower, but when it happens on stage, you have to do a double-take.
Credit Lilholt for singing through a difficult-to-hear set, trying to balance the levels in vain while performing. At one point between songs, a fan yelled "Turn up the vocals," which makes you wonder when a band keeps jamming more and more guitarists on stage why no one ever yells "Turn down the guitar."
A few students filed out of the café following the set, probably more to prepare for parties and classes than out of disappointment.
Cue The Quelle Source. There's not much that can be said about this band that hasn't already been written. The winners of the 2007 Hawkapalooza Battle of the Bands were given this Java Jam concert as a prize, and used the opportunity to play their hits and market the ever loving crap out of their new, self-titled EP.
You can-and likely, will-drive yourself crazy listening to The Quelle Source and trying to pinpoint who they remind you of. The band exists as if WXPN put a day's programming through a dryer and shrunk it down. At times, they have instrumental angst. They can also seamlessly switch to lazy, California surfer rock a la The Thrills (as they do for "The Dependable Ones"). The Quelle Source even pulled out some genre-defying, Radiohead-esque dissonant rock with spoken vocals, an untitled piece they performed for the first time.
Particularly difficult to compare is Kevin Ryan, '08, on vocals. His voice is altogether familiar and unique, and switches to fit the song. He is sometimes vaguely reminiscent of The Decemberists' Colin Meloy, although with a less nasal quality.
So go ahead, spend the whole concert trying to figure out that one band who The Quelle Source sounds exactly like. Eventually, you'll reach the same conclusion: while there may not be too much groundbreaking experimentation here, The Quelle Source is an original band, with tunes that get inside your head and just won't get out.
And living with "The Painters" replaying constantly in your mind isn't the worst thing in the world. Far from it.
Indeed, the catchy melodies and guitar fills of The Quelle Source (provided by Dan Wisniewski, '08, lead guitarist), get under your skin and just won't get out, like so many spiders to a recovering heroin addict. Sometimes they were sickeningly sweet, other times unbearably catchy, but usually dead on. This isn't your typical three part melody.
Even if the same sound level problems faced by Leslie Vestman sometimes prevented fans from hearing vocals or keyboards, the crowd warmed up to the show from the beginning of their set.
The Thursday night crowd that came to the Hawk Rock was a mixed bag, from a few diehard fans to students who came to take advantage of a study break and free concert. Eric Eikmeier, '08, concert coordinator, said that they drew a larger crowd thanks to it occurring on Accepted Students Day.
Perhaps curiosity got the better of some of the visitors. Wisniewski had spent the day posting over 350 fliers around campus in celebration of their final Java Jam.
(In case there is any confusion, there will be two more Java Jam events this semester, on April 3 and 17. The event was billed as The Quelle Source: Final Java Jam, as it will be their last. "They seem to have forgotten the 'apostrophe s,'" said Eikmeier.)
By the time the band went into covers (with a killer rendition of "Off the Record" by My Morning Jacket), there were more people dancing than "that person," the one who dances at any concert regardless of the band. This set the tone for the rest of the night, as students began filling the narrow space between the first row of seats and the eight inch high stage to show off their horribly awkward moves.
Still, many fans did their toe-tapping from their seats, some staring at laptops and studying for the LSAT. Expect the crowd to be more raucous at the spring concert, which it was announced recently that The Quelle Source will open.
But for now, The Quelle Source owns the friendly confines of the Crimson Cafeteria. The sound levels may be terrible and the crowd might be there as much for free drinks as "Free Bird," but such is the plight of a college student band.
Even when you're in a full house, you're playing to a half-empty room.
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