It doesn’t take long for homesickness to kick in once the new school year starts. Fortunately, there’s treatment, and it’s administered via sound waves. Seattle University’s student-run radio station KSUB is kicking off the year with the second annual Fresh Fest, a free concert showcasing local bands. The mini-festival was created last year to welcome both new and returning students. This year’s Fresh Fest was organized over the summer by KSUB general manager Bill Koch and promotions director McKenna Haley.
“It was pretty fun last year and we thought, you know, why not do it again? It’s a good way to introduce KSUB to new students and maybe students that haven’t really been able to experience the live shows before,” Haley said. “No one really tends to find us if they don’t hear about us beforehand.”
Three bands handpicked by the team will share a stage in front of the library this coming Saturday night. In addition to the music, “there might be a little bit of terrible on-stage banter from me,” joked Koch. There will also be a KSUB table that, according to Koch, might be giving out free CDs and stickers. So on October 5 at 7:00 p.m., strap on your dancing shoes and head over to the Lemieux Library Patio for a dose of the best medicine: live music.
Fuzz Alderaan
Kyle Madsen is a one-man band. A Seattle U alumnus and former member of the recently broken up band The Apollos, Madsen now plays shows throughout the city under his stage name, Fuzz Alderaan.
Fresh Fest will be his first time playing solo in a concert setting. Regardless, expect the show to be raw and high energy.
“My whole goal right now is just to play music people can dance to,” Madsen said.
Playing music is how he connects to people on a deeper level. He thinks a live show is successful if it invokes any kind of feeling or reaction in a crowd. In other words: he is here to make you groove. Expect some “straight up rock and roll,” in Madsen’s words, inspired by the ‘50s and ‘60s.
Tangerine
Tangerine is a self-described “alternative pop” band, made up of sisters Marika and Miro Justad, Ryan Baker, and Toby Kuhn.
As a relatively new band, they hope to find new fans and establish a presence in Capitol Hill and at Seattle U. Bassist Baker hopes their summery sound will welcome new students to Seattle with some music they can dance to.
The band pulls from a variety of genres, from indie to surf pop. Singer and guitarist Marika Justad said it’s not about sticking to a certain sound for Tangerine, because they are “more into crafting what we think is the best song we could possibly write.” They strive to create music with a “beautiful texture-y melody.”
So come ready to dance.
Charms
Fresh Fest won’t be CHARMS’s first show on campus. They played a studio show at KSUB last spring, and are more than excited to come back to Seattle U. The band is made up of drummer Ray McCoy, guitarist and singer Eleazer Tolentino, and keyboardist Josh McCormick.
McCoy and Tolentino described their music as pounding, jangling, explosive, noisy, and “annoyingly alienating.” In their words, “like demon-on-your-chest music.”
Ultimately, they play music to move people one way or another.
To CHARMS, there is no right way to play music. It’s at the mercy of the musician’s fingertips.
Leave your expectations at the door.
Abby can be reached at [email protected]
