Photo Courtesy of VarsityBandCamp.com
On Saturday, Nov. 10, a crowd of Hamilton students gathered in the Annex for the WHCL Fall Concert to watch a performance by Varsity, an indie-rock band from Chicago. Varsity features Stephanie Smith on lead vocals and keyboard, Dylan Weschler on backing vocals and guitar, Patrick Stanton on guitar, Jake Stolz on the drums, and Paul Stolz on bass guitar.
The show was opened by Anemone, an alternative-dance, dream pop band from Montreal. Their music is described on Spotify as “creatively incorporating aspects that can vary from Dream Pop, Dance music and Krautrock […] it is music that refuses to be ignored.” Anemone consists of Chloé Soldevila as the lead vocalist and keyboardist, Miles Dupire-Gagnon on drums, Samuel Gemme on bass, and Gabriel Lambert and Zachary Irving on guitar.
The band played a number of songs off of their first album
Baby Only You & I
that dropped earlier this year in April. Lead vocalist Chloé Soldevila jumped around to the exciting rhythm of each song, and the crowd could not help but mirror her movements and dance along. Anemone sent a current of energy into the crowd and set a carefree and vibrant tone for the night.
Soon after Anemone left the stage, Varsity warmed up and proceeded to put on a fantastic show. Every student in the crowd was bobbing their head along to the beat of each song, moving freely to the sweet melodies, crisp beat of the drums, and notable guitar riffs.
For WHCL Events Coordinator Graham Paull ’20, this was his first time seeing Varsity live, and he has always been a big fan. “They definitely lived up to my expectations,” Paull noted, “I think it was especially fun because they are only a bit older than us, so I felt that they were really able to connect with the audience on that level.”
Varsity kept the audience on their toes by seamlessly transitioning the rhythm of one song into the next. The band members occasionally interacted with the crowd in between songs, asking students “What’s your school mascot?” to which the crowd enthusiastically shouted back, “The Continentals!” Lead singer Stephanie Smith asked the audience, “What do you all think about UFOs?” before the band transitioned into the smooth and steady tune of their newest single. “UFO” was released a few weeks ago on Oct. 30 as the B-side single to “The Dogs Only Listen To Him,” another song that Varsity performed in the Annex.
With the steady opening drumbeat and instantly catchy guitar riff, a large number of students in the crowd recognized the song “So Sad, So Sad” and excitedly sang along to the lyrics. Released in 2015, “So Sad, So Sad” is Varsity’s most well-known song with over seven million plays on Spotify.
“A friend named Paul,” the first single on Varsity’s newest album
Parallel Person
, was Paull’s favorite song the band performed on Saturday night. “I spent a lot of summer listening to the album [
Parallel Person
] and that song in particular, which was one of the big reasons I wanted to bring Varsity to campus,” Paull explained. In addition to its “infectious melody,” Paull appreciates the song for the meaning it has in his life: “My radio co-host, Liam Prum, also really enjoys the song, so it holds a special place for me in a sort of communal sense.”
After the band performed their last song and left the stage, murmurs of appreciation for the performance filled the Annex, and a group of students walked over to the back of the room where the band was selling merchandise. At this time,
The Spectator
had the opportunity to talk to lead vocalist Stephanie Smith and bassist Paul Stolz about the show. “We are so glad you liked our performance,” Smith remarked with a smile. “We had a lot of fun playing for all of you.” Many students found the band members very easygoing and were delighted that the band let them pay for their merchandise through Venmo. Varsity also stayed on the Hill for a few hours after the show to socialize and unwind with a group of students.
If you are interested in listening to their music, Varsity and Anemone have their songs on Spotify and Soundcloud. In Jan. 2019, Varsity is playing at Metro Chicago with Snail Mail, which performed on the Hill for the WHCL concert in the spring of 2017.
