2016 Rock Hunt Semifinals Night 3
Round 3 of the WBRU Rock Hunt semifinals took place Friday night at Dusk. BRU fans and bar-goers alike were able to enjoy a night of good fun, great music First up were Providence natives Push Push Push who opened to a loud crowd of fans....
Round 3 of the WBRU Rock Hunt semifinals took place Friday night at Dusk. BRU fans and bar-goers alike were able to enjoy a night of good fun, great music
First up were Providence natives Push Push Push who opened to a loud crowd of fans. In the dim red lighting, the band’s raw rock sound fit right in. Lead singer Nathan Matthews invited audience members, many of whom seemed to know several of the band’s songs, to sing along to the music. Matthews, bassist Jared Haselton and drummer Derek Braunschweiger, who have been with the band since the start, were joined by new members, guitarists Zak Theis and Aaron King for a sound that filled the room with a great range of vocal and musical talent. The head-banging songs really connected with the audience, making for a great crowd and an even better show. When asked about the band’s performance, Matthews raved about the “awesome, great crowd” during the set, mentioning how they “appreciate WBRU for supporting local music.”
Next on stage were last minute fill-ins Eric & the Nothing. The trio of 60’s inspired rockers featured Eric Tidd on lead vocals and guitar, Chuck Perry on bass, and Billy Moretti on drums. From Attleboro, Massachusetts, the band took the crowd down a little bit for what frontman Tidd described as “straight rock ‘n’ roll music.” The band’s “garage rock” sound gave the crowd a wide variety of music with slower head-banging tracks to songs that had the audience dancing and singing along. Regulars of the venue, the band was appreciative of the welcoming crowd many of whom came out especially for the Rock Hunt. A great stage presence and clear mastery of their craft definitely set the band apart, proving why they belonged at the competition. On their set, the band was pleased with their performance– “[we did] really good and had a fun time…it was really great to be here”. “We’re all locals so we grew up on BRU”, Tidd said. Eric & the Nothing have performed at a Home BRU’d session, a WBRU platform for local artists.
The final band of the night were Under the Microscope. From Lincoln, Rhode Island, the band seemed to be an audience favorite. Members Mike Main on lead vocals and guitar, Andy Woods on lead guitar, Chris Caduto on bass, and Jeremy Galle on drums formed the fast-paced rock sounds of UTM. Featuring great solos by Caduto, Galle and Woods, the band proved that its members worked well separately and even better together. The band performed with a giant blow-up alien that made its way into the audience during the performance, crowd-surfing with the music. “I think I did great, I think they did great, and if it ends up that this is as far as we get, we’ll have no regrets,” Main said on the band’s performance. “We’d like to thank WBRU for the opportunity,” he went on to say. Shout-out to Christ Caduto on bass for the best outfit of the night–that sparkly blazer + long hair combo had a very BØRNS-esque feel that was much appreciated.
Finally the judges were set to deliberate, and DJ Shley announced the winner: Eric & the Nothing! The last minute addition to the lineup were surprised but grateful for the win. “This is crazy,” Tidd exclaimed, “we hardly had any notice but we came in and did it!”. The band celebrated in the crowd, happy with how loud and well they played. Thank you to all of our bands, sponsors, judges, and concert-goers, and congratulations to Eric & the Nothing!
Click here for dates and times of the remaining semifinal rounds.
Previously in the series: 2016 Rock Hunt Semifinals Night 2
Read On: 2016 Rock Hunt Semifinals Wildcard
Photos courtesy of WBRU Media Intern Ashley Morse
First up were Providence natives Push Push Push who opened to a loud crowd of fans. In the dim red lighting, the band’s raw rock sound fit right in. Lead singer Nathan Matthews invited audience members, many of whom seemed to know several of the band’s songs, to sing along to the music. Matthews, bassist Jared Haselton and drummer Derek Braunschweiger, who have been with the band since the start, were joined by new members, guitarists Zak Theis and Aaron King for a sound that filled the room with a great range of vocal and musical talent. The head-banging songs really connected with the audience, making for a great crowd and an even better show. When asked about the band’s performance, Matthews raved about the “awesome, great crowd” during the set, mentioning how they “appreciate WBRU for supporting local music.”
Next on stage were last minute fill-ins Eric & the Nothing. The trio of 60’s inspired rockers featured Eric Tidd on lead vocals and guitar, Chuck Perry on bass, and Billy Moretti on drums. From Attleboro, Massachusetts, the band took the crowd down a little bit for what frontman Tidd described as “straight rock ‘n’ roll music.” The band’s “garage rock” sound gave the crowd a wide variety of music with slower head-banging tracks to songs that had the audience dancing and singing along. Regulars of the venue, the band was appreciative of the welcoming crowd many of whom came out especially for the Rock Hunt. A great stage presence and clear mastery of their craft definitely set the band apart, proving why they belonged at the competition. On their set, the band was pleased with their performance– “[we did] really good and had a fun time…it was really great to be here”. “We’re all locals so we grew up on BRU”, Tidd said. Eric & the Nothing have performed at a Home BRU’d session, a WBRU platform for local artists.
The final band of the night were Under the Microscope. From Lincoln, Rhode Island, the band seemed to be an audience favorite. Members Mike Main on lead vocals and guitar, Andy Woods on lead guitar, Chris Caduto on bass, and Jeremy Galle on drums formed the fast-paced rock sounds of UTM. Featuring great solos by Caduto, Galle and Woods, the band proved that its members worked well separately and even better together. The band performed with a giant blow-up alien that made its way into the audience during the performance, crowd-surfing with the music. “I think I did great, I think they did great, and if it ends up that this is as far as we get, we’ll have no regrets,” Main said on the band’s performance. “We’d like to thank WBRU for the opportunity,” he went on to say. Shout-out to Christ Caduto on bass for the best outfit of the night–that sparkly blazer + long hair combo had a very BØRNS-esque feel that was much appreciated.
Finally the judges were set to deliberate, and DJ Shley announced the winner: Eric & the Nothing! The last minute addition to the lineup were surprised but grateful for the win. “This is crazy,” Tidd exclaimed, “we hardly had any notice but we came in and did it!”. The band celebrated in the crowd, happy with how loud and well they played. Thank you to all of our bands, sponsors, judges, and concert-goers, and congratulations to Eric & the Nothing!
Click here for dates and times of the remaining semifinal rounds.
Previously in the series: 2016 Rock Hunt Semifinals Night 2
Read On: 2016 Rock Hunt Semifinals Wildcard
Photos courtesy of WBRU Media Intern Ashley Morse
2016 RH 3.4.2016