WHCL, Hamilton College’s radio station, hosted its first annual “Snowchella” on Friday, Feb. 16. Students filled the Annex from 8–11:30 p.m. to hear Drey, Julia Davis, Terrapin Trio, Uptown Booty, and Stink 182 perform at the festival.
Drey (Audrey Darnis ’18) was the first act of the night and performed a thirty minute set of original songs and indie-alternative dream pop covers. One crowd favorite was Drey’s enchanting original song “The Architect in My Mind is Here.” Audience members could be heard saying, “I need a recording of that song!” Drey’s soft yet powerful vocal tone and impressive guitar techniques delighted the crowd. For her closing song, “Look On Down From The Bridge” by Mazzy Star, Drey invited Chris Hart ’19 to join her on stage to play the keyboard. Drey was an excellent start to the concert, and Hamilton students are looking forward to hopefully hearing more new music from her at future performances.
The next act, Julia Davis ’20, performed six original songs. Davis’ lyrics were artfully crafted. Her songs about topics that are common in pop songs, like love and heartbreak, sounded unique, clever, and thought-provoking. She also explored other themes, including the experience of still feeling like a child when you are in your twenties, in her song “Philadelphia.” A few of the songs that Davis played were off of her EP,
Wild Child
, while others are songs that she wrote over the past few weeks. Davis also revealed that her album will be released in April and she has already recorded eight out of ten songs. Additionally, she asked the audience for opinions on two of her ideas for titles of the album:
Strings
and
Tourist Attraction
. The audience was leaning towards
Tourist Attraction.
Up next was the Grateful Dead cover band, Terrapin Trio. Terrapin Trio, not actually a trio, is made up of Sam Kaplan ’18 and Matt Lebowitz ’18 on guitar and vocals, Joey Rokous ’18 on bass, Anthony Reyes ’20 on keyboard, Chris Lovejoy ’18 on drums, and Sara Jadbabaie ’21 on fiddle. “Snowchella” was Jadbabaie’s debut as a member of Terrapin Trio, and she did not disappoint. In fact, her fiddle solos were some of the top highlights of the band’s performance. Terrapin Trio performed six Grateful Dead songs, including “China Cat Sunflower,” “I Know You Rider,” “Shakedown Street,” “Bertha,” “Casey Jones,” and “Johnny B Goode.” Not only did Terrapin Trio showcase its members’ musical abilities, but they also increased in energy and the crowd danced more and more as their set went on.
The fourth act was student band Uptown Booty. Uptown Booty consists of Kaplan on bass, Reyes on keyboard, Lovejoy on drums, and Carter Sanders ’18 on guitar and vocals. Chris Victor ’21 also joined the band on stage to sing Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition.” Victor was a wonderful addition to the band, as his powerful vocals and impressive range wowed the audience. The crowd was particularly enthusiastic when Uptown Booty covered “Mr. Brightside” by the Killers and “Valerie” by Amy Winehouse.
Finally, student band Stink 182 ended the concert. Stink 182 is a cover band that performs in the style of Green Day, Blink 182, and similar bands. Stink 182’s members are Lovejoy on guitar and vocals, Rokus on bass, and Alex Scheuer ’18 on drums. Stink 182’s performance made Hamilton students nostalgic for the early 2000s. Highlights of their set included “Dirty Little Secret” by The All-American Rejects, “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down” by Panic! At the Disco, and “The Anthem” by Good Charlotte.
Impressively, the several band members of Terrapin Trio, Uptown Booty, and Stink 182 who are in two or three of the bands (Reyes, Kaplan, Lovejoy, and Rokus) sustained energy and stamina throughout the night. Overall, Hamilton’s first “Snowchella” was a great success, and students hope to see the festival return for next year’s Feb Fest.
