Connector Staff
Energy was the name of the game at this week’s VPAC show, which was put on by the UMass Lowell chapter of MEISA. Oldsoul, Bay Faction and Neversleep came to rock the house last Thursday, and it was exactly what they did, as not a single body stayed in their seats from second the first riff hit the air.
The show began with oldsoul, a local Lowell band with an alternative sound with early Hayley Williams’s-esque vocals from lead singer, Jess Hall. Oldsoul just wrapped up recording their very first extended play (EP). Hall and company are ecstatic that they got the opportunity to take the next step in their young careers, stating that was all “DIY,” and the fact that people acknowledge their music and want more made them feel fantastic.
Oldsoul’s music came with varied tempos and wailing guitar riffs from drummer and guitarist, Alex DeLorey and Jake Mattison, respectively. The band sees music as their “Vice,” and without the community music brings they would feel “vulnerable and empty.” You can find Oldsoul’s old demos and new EP at oldsoulma.bandcamp.com.
When oldsoul vacated the stage, Bay Faction quickly stepped up and hit the crowd with their own unique flavor of indie rock. Coming off the release of their self-titled CD, Bay Faction rocked and rolled through their whole set with the passionately charged vocals of James McDermott, Kris Roman’s smooth bass lines and Connor Godfrey’s melodic drumming. Being heavily influenced by artists like RZA and Cage the Elephant, the boys from Boston gave the crowd a set to be remembered.
McDermott and his crew find music as a “universal mode of expression and communication.” This is heavily evident in their single, “Cutter” a story of a man Jasper being emotionally cut down. He is a re-occurring character used throughout their album. When asked for any tips for aspiring musicians, McDermott quoted a man “much smarter” than him: “Make sure you have the right people on the bus before it leaves.” You can find Bay Faction on Facebook, Bandcamp and you can purchase their album at www.counterintuitiverecords.com.
The final act of the night was no one other than UMass Lowell’s own Neversleep. Consisting of guitarists and vocalists, David Kisiel and Chris Powers, drummer Devin Congdon and bassist Chaz Morse, Neversleep makes their own niche in the growing genre that is alternative rock. Kiesel believes what truly sets them apart from others in the genre is their “progressive lyrics” and their band’s chemistry. These four loveable oafs took their passion and thoroughly entertained the crowd with their fine crafted lyrics and head banging solos.
When not rocking their hearts out, Neversleep is constantly messing with one another, taking selfies, playing rock-paper-scissors on stage and cracking jokes with the audience in between songs. But it is not all fun and games for Neversleep as when it comes time to play or write music, each bandmate pours all their emotion into their craft, “easing away all the tensions of the week,” as Powers has said. If you want to listen to any of the songs from this quartet of quarrels, you can catch them on Facebook, as well as on Bandcamp at neversleepofficial.bandcamp.com/releases.
If you missed this show do not fret, as MEISA will shall be putting together a VPAC show every other Thursday in Fox Common. Check out MEISA’s Facebook page to get more information on the shows and their performers.
