Shinobi Ninja, which also hails from New York, will join Das Racist on stage for the concert on Sept. 24, Amaris Galea-Orbe '11, PB concert chair, said. The six-piece group blends aspects of rock, hip-hop, pop and punk in its energetic live shows, and released its first studio album "Rock Hood" earlier this year. Other up-and-coming music acts may be added to the bill as well, Galea-Orbe said.
The two concerts mark an unprecedented early start for the Dartmouth music scene.
"To my knowledge, this is the first time PB is doing such an early concert," Galea-Orbe said. "I figured that people never have much to do during their first weekend back and that a concert would be a great thing to do. I hope it continues."
When scheduling conflicts prevented PB from booking Deacon for the Sept. 24 event, FNR took advantage of the opportunity to book him for a Thursday night gig, Galea-Orbe said.
The two shows' confirmed artists promise to offer entertainment that is as lively as it is eclectic. Das Racist, a Brooklyn-based trio that initially created buzz with the song "Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell," creates witty party anthems that wax philosophical on everything from post-colonialism and globalism to high fashion and fast food. The group offers these musings in stream-of-conscious batches of lyrics that are delivered over catchy beats. The musicians' goofiness has led some to question their sincerity, an issue addressed in their song "hahahaha jk?" which proclaims, "We are joking/Just joking/We're not joking."
Deacon is famous for his offbeat sensibilities and dynamic performances. Now based in Baltimore, Deacon found his beginnings during his studies at Purchase College in New York, where he released short runs of his music on CD-R discs. Deacon has since become an indie electronic music staple, having released two commercially distributed LPs "Spiderman of the Rings" and "Bromst."
Deacon has made a stir in other realms, providing the voice behind the trippy viral video "Drinking Out of Cups," which has garnered nearly 15 million views on YouTube. Deacon also recently forayed into scoring films with Francis Ford Coppola's new film "Twixt" (2011).
Deacon's experimental and energetic style pairs well with the spirit of FNR.
"[Deacon is] a very high-energy performer," Chris Randall '12, general manager of FNR, said. "He's very into the crowd being right up around him when he's playing, and Fuel is going to be perfect for that. It will be a really intimate show."
Ed Schrader's Music Beat, which has opened for Deacon several times this year, will open for Deacon on Sept. 22. Schrader has performed at FNR once before, in the Fall of 2009.
Despite an assortment of fraternity-hosted concerts and Hopkins Center performances each year, the Dartmouth concert scene is largely supported by the efforts of PB and FNR.
"It definitely offers an alternative to your standard Friday night, as far as going out is concerned," Randall said.
Due to Hanover's relative distance from a major city, nationally touring musical acts often must be actively sought out to perform at Dartmouth. In many cases, these acts will perform at Dartmouth before tour dates in Montreal or Boston, Randall said.
FNR, the smaller organization of the two, is the only campus group dedicated exclusively to concert planning. Established in 2004, the group brings up-and-coming indie acts to campus to play at Fuel, the small club venue in the basement of Collis.
"We don't really have the money to book big-name performers, and I think that's a good thing," Randall said. "That forces [FNR's] booking managers to look really closely at the underground scenes to pick out bands that are in our price range but are just about to hit big."
Past FNR acts that "hit big" include Surfer Blood, Sleigh Bells and Mates of State. To book the already well-established Deacon, FNR is cosponsoring the event PB.
PB has long been integral in building the alternative social scene at Dartmouth. In addition to its big-name concerts, PB organizes regular karaoke nights, Bingo games and movie nights. The organization also funds the half-price student discount on tickets at the Nugget Theater, and nearly all of the on-campus events organized by PB are free for students. Upcoming events include a Halloween concert featuring rap artist Yelawolf.
