I have had the strange pleasure and opportunity to interview core members of the Friday Night Rock scene -- twice. Both times have been what one might call unique experiences. On both occasions I have found myself at a table in Thayer with a motley crew of musicians from campus bands Oh No Dinosaur and Fashion Fashion! as well as a "groupie" or two who peppered the conversation with extra opinions.
Not that the interviews needed spice -- in fact, talking to these two groups has made for some of the most interesting interviews I've conducted.
Truth be told, it would be hard to call them interviews. More aptly put, they are round tables of a group of friends I happened to butt in on, and occasional trip up with meaningless questions. Really it isn't the questions that matter as much as the funny answers and witty tangents through which these musicians answer them.
The first time I met most of them together, it was to talk about Friday Night Rock's first Band Showcase, the last show of Winter term. This time, we're talking spring. Green Key, to be more precise. Both Oh No Dinosaur and Fashion Fashion! are bringing their underground rock above ground -- that is to say, out of the Collis basement and onto the Green for this Saturday's Festival for Humanity.
The Festival for Humanity, which will take place this Saturday from noon to 8 p.m., is a giant outdoor fundraiser, featuring varied stalls, a silent auction, a free barbecue and of course musical performances, all to support Habitat for Humanity, as well as provide a fun daytime atmosphere on Green Key weekend.
Oh No Dinosaur and Fashion Fashion! will join the likes of Xado, Soul Scribes, Rockapellas, The Dartmouth Gospel Choir and many others on two stages worth of musical performances. They will be the last two groups to perform on the main stage ("We're on the Main Stage!" Lindsey Davis '05, who does vocals and synth for Fashion Fashion! eagerly pointed out).
Last year, the now-nonexistent band Drug, which consisted of some of the current members of Oh No and Fashion, played on the Green in a Green Key musical event set up by Brian Foley '06 (who now does drums for Fashion Fashion!) that included several campus bands and a barbecue in a low-key setting.
This year the two bands were asked to play the new Festival for Humanity by Mathew Lemberger '06, a fellow musician who often plays at Lone Pine and is involved with Habitat for Humanity.
Oh No Dinosaur and Fashion Fashion! will be the only two rock bands playing the festival. That is unless you count the Deliciousesses, whom Don Stewart '06, a guitarist and vocalist for Oh No Dinosaur and one of the founding figures behind Friday Night Rock, calls more "hip pop jam fusion," than rock.
Either way, both bands are excited to be rocking out for Habitat for Humanity. Although Mat Brown '05, who developed the idea for FNR and does vocals and guitar for Fashion Fashion! jokingly added, "We actually consider ourselves to be playing just more for humanity in general."
Friday Night Rock, where both bands are staples of the lineup, attracts a regular crowd of devoted followers, but the two bands are hoping that their new venue for this weekend will attract new people to their music. "I think we're hoping for a different crowd," said Brown, who expressed desire to reach students and others outside their fan base.
Stewart added, "We're going to be loud enough that everyone will have to listen!"
And, in thoughtful response, Brown agreed, saying, "It's in the middle of the Green, so you can't be walking around campus and not notice it. It's more of a 'we'll catch whoever's out there' event."
Oh No Dinosaur will additionally be playing the night before in their usual venue, Fuel Rock Club, for Friday Night Rock. They'll be opening for the Boston-based band, Lockgroove. But, at the festival on Saturday, Stewart and Sydney Kim '06, who does the omnipresent FNR posters and guitar and keyboard in Oh No Dinosaur, revealed that their band will be debuting two new songs along with the rest of their repertoire.
Fashion Fashion! will not be debuting new material, Brown said, because their drummer, Foley, is on an off-term and living in Massachusetts. They have previously recorded a demo in this past December, and also recorded a three-song E.P. in Boston just last month, so they have a wealth of material to chose from. Additionally, their first band T-shirt is currently in the works.
Still, both bands are excited for their chance to play on the Green for Green Key weekend. "Saturday will be a really relaxed, fun outdoor show, we hope," Don said.
Relaxed is not a term that would pop to most minds when seeing this group. They're laughing their heads off, making jokes about everyone else present, and interjecting in each other's quotes. But fun? That is definitely a fitting word.
In the middle of the interview, a student wearing only shorts, with the rest of his body covered in odd painted designs, approached the table. Everyone at the table laughs as he is introduced as Patrick, a fan of Friday Night Rock. Andrew Sandoval '06, Oh No Dinosaur's bass player, summing up the quirky and fun atmosphere the two bands exude, takes a quick look at Pat and chimes in: "This is the humanity we're playing for."
The interview continued, as did the hilarity and general good mood of the two bands. If such a vibe continues until Saturday, the show on the Green promises to be a great one.
