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The Dartmouth
June 28, 2025 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth

Alum. band Midnight Spin sees sudden rise in popularity

Sipping on Keystones and cracking jokes at Chi Gamma Epsilon fraternity on Friday night, the five members of the band Midnight Spin played a three-hour concert for what the band described as "one of the best audiences we have ever played for, hands down" in a Facebook status update. It is hard to discern, however, whether the overwhelming adrenaline in the crowd was conjured by the very vocal dancing students, the group's recent string of successes or the band's enjoyment from performing, for the first time, at two of the musicians' alma mater.

Midnight Spin's bassist Ben Waters '06 and drummer Danny Scull '06 paid a visit to their former fraternity this weekend, bringing along their bandmates Scull's childhood friend Mike Corbett, Jim Terranova, who joined the band in June 2008, and Jeremy Cohen, who met the group last year. The performance reflects the rapidly increasing popularity of the band, which was dubbed Best Emerging Artist of 2009 by New York City-based indie music magazine The Deli.

"The turnout was huge and the reaction was even better it was a blast," Waters said of Friday's concert in an interview with The Dartmouth. "That was one of those shows where you remember why it's fun to do this. We're definitely coming back."

The band started their set with 10 covers, ranging from Talking Heads to Neil Young, and then moved on to some original songs from "Through the Mojo Wire," their debut five-track EP, which was released last July. Their versions of songs like "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Rockin' in the Free World" maintained the classic character of the songs, while using innovative instrumentation to instill an alternative twist. The band's other original songs included vocal-heavy "Mr. Slate" and their debut single "In the Air (Revival)." A music video for the single, produced by MTV, is scheduled for release in February.

"It was just fortunate," Scull said of the video. "The guys at MTV were really cool and they were like, We believe in you guys, we've seen you play, we like your song.'"

According to Waters, the band's sudden success was first apparent when their EP release concert, played in July at the famous New York City venue Mercury Lounge, sold out. The performance was contingent on the group's ability to sell 250 tickets through Ticketmaster beforehand.

"Two days before the show we had sold 180. And then, two hours before the show, we got a call from the Mercury Lounge box office telling us that we had sold out," Waters said. "It was amazing. The crowd's energy was very high and whenever that happens like last night we play 10 times better."

The Deli's poll, which concluded just two weeks ago, also helped further the group's popularity. As Best Emerging Artist, Midnight Spin will be featured in The Deli's spring issue. Waters said that the band has been surprised by the recent acclaim, which has come sooner than they ever could have expected.

"We were recording the EP a year ago, reading the [2009] spring issue in the studio," Waters said. "We were just completely overwhelmed. There were like 100 bands in this thing."

The band has made impressive progress during their 18 months in the industry, considering they lack both a record label and a manager, although the group said they are now in the process of finding a manager.

"We're basically starting a business," Waters said. "We're really in a situation where we want to take it to the next level."

Despite their practical concerns, Scull said that the band still hopes to continue having fun with making and performing music as they navigate the industry.

"The past 18 months have been such an awesome adventure. We've driven halfway across the United States getting ourselves into the weirdest situations and having so much fun," Scull said. "There aren't too many professions [where] you get to hang out with frat guys in South Carolina at 5:00 a.m."

Another factor in Midnight Spin's success in the New York rock scene is their current home base in Williamsburg, a hipster neighborhood in Brooklyn. The band sculpted their sound based on mutual rock favorites, including Foo Fighters and Weezer, as well as Williamsburg's music scene, according to Scull.

"We live in a part of a scene that's very out there, so we're trying to tow the line between both camps," Scull said. "We want to make something that's unique that the hipsters can get into, but that is catchy enough to be something that everyone likes to listen to."

Judging from Friday's concert, the band has successfully struck that balance. The energy that was generated between the band and the audience was contagious, and it is clear that every member of Midnight Spin is passionate about his career and the future of the band.

"One thing that I can [stress] is that I'm happy because I'm doing what I love," Scull said. "Coming from a school like this, you can do anything. And you should do what you're interested in."


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