For those of you who are unaware, UNH’s Music & Entertainment Industry Student Association (known as MEISA) has changed names, and will now be known as the Music Industry Club (MIC). While the name may have changed, they are still dedicated to bringing the UNH community great live music, and this past week was no exception. This show featured UNH’s own Zach Grabko, UNH band The Dustbusters, and California Indie-Rockers from Indian Lakes; it definitely brightened everyone’s Monday!
First to perform was MIC secretary (and soon to be treasurer) Zach Grabko, who did a short but sweet acoustic set. Personally, I love acoustic performers because there’s a gutsy vulnerability to it. There are no bells or whistles to hide behind, just a microphone and a guitar. For some this can be daunting, but Grabko is a genuine performer and had no problem commanding the stage with songs he wrote in high school about love and life. Some might not have recognized him without his makeup; he recently played one of the stepsisters opposite David Janovsky in Into the Woods with rave reviews. Whether singing about the king’s festival or the girl that caught his eye, his voice is undeniable. I think he had a solid set and had some catchy original songs, my favorite being “The Dive.”
Next was The Dustbusters, a group of guys who describe their sound as “If Modest Mouse and Dinosaur Jr. had a baby…” I would definitely agree with this portrayal of the group. The similarities to Dinosaur Jr. hit me as soon as they began to play; I could pick up traces of Counting Crows and The Mountain Goats between their vocal tones and the instrumental vibe as well. Their sound is very mature, which I thought was cool to see from four guys goofing around on stage. It’s always nice to watch a band that’s really relaxed and fun on stage; it gets the crowd more involved and willing to participate back. They had a nice mixed set of originals off their new EP (you can download it for free at http://thedustbusters.bandcamp.com/ ) and a couple of covers from artists like Wilco. My favorite song of theirs was “Garden Gnome” which they performed complete with their own garden gnome on stage that had been stolen from someone’s lawn. The song had some really great lyrics and harmonies. All in all, I can definitely see myself unwinding on a warm summer night with a cool glass of iced tea and some of The Dustbusters playing in the background.
Lastly was the headlining act, From Indian Lakes, all the way from Yosemite Valley, Calif. Spending their day off from tour to play for us, these indie rockers absolutely blew me away. Lead singer Joey Vannucchi’s voice made me melt and his falsetto reminded me of Alex Trimble of Two Door Cinema Club (a huge compliment as TDCC is one of my favorite bands). Vannucchi was not the only one with a beautiful voice, as their harmonies were so delicate and wonderfully layered that it added a whole new element to their sound. Their ability to transition from slow, quiet tranquil songs like “Stay Outside” to more energetic songs like “Breaking My Bones” so seamlessly left me on the edge of my seat waiting for the next song. “Stay Outside” was probably my absolute favorite track of the night, which you can also download off their bandcamp page. What I really loved most about From Indian Lakes is that you can feel their passion when they perform. It is that very passion which hooks you and leaves you in a trance. I could have sat there all night listening to them play. They most certainly have a new fan in me and I hope they swing by the east coast again soon.
