By Nicole Horton
This past Friday, Jan. 23, student-run coffee house Rodrigues held its second concert of the semester featuring two metal bands, each with a different sound. Upon arrival, the small coffee house had a cozy atmosphere, with twinkle lights leading up to the makeshift stage and the heat turned up to curb the cold.
One of Rodrigues presidents, Paul Ross, FCRH ’15, detailed how members plan concerts for the semester. They vote on bands to select, reach out to them via email and then discuss dates and price. He added that the most they have ever spent on a band is approximately $5,000.
“We go all over the place in terms of music,” said Ross. “We’ve done metal shows before. It’s not exactly the most common show that we do, but it’s something that’s happened. It was pretty well-received when we voted on it, about as well as any other show I’d say.”
“I saw Charetta over the summer and I really love them,” said Danielle Shtab, FCRH ’16. “I saw them at Warped Tour 2014 at Jones Beach. They stuck out to me as a band that could come to Rods, and I wanted to build a show around them, as a metal show.”
As the first band Lines Don’t Cross was setting up prior to the 8 p.m. start time, Rodrigues members and other students mingled. The band did not start until about 9 p.m. since they were missing three members. They spent the time warming up, and covered a Bob Marley song to entertain the waiting crowd. More students entered between 9 and 10 p.m., but there was still comfortable standing room.
The members of Lines Don’t Cross were all on vocals, in addition to playing their respective instruments. Lines Don’t Cross is a self-described experimental band that plays hardcore metal. The band’s first song “Be Alone” featured aggressive vocal stylings which were sure to please hardcore metal fans, but potentially turn off more mainstream fans. One of the guitarists went around the room to get the crowd more involved. Later on in the set, the band played a more melodic hip-hop song that got the crowd bopping their heads and clapping.
The next band, Charetta, is a female-fronted modern rock band whose sound can best be described as melodic heavy rock with mainstream appeal. Angelina DelCarmen’s powerhouse vocals quickly captivated the audience. Guitarists Pablo LaFrossia and Chris Fullham, along with drummer Adonis Sanchez, rounded out the very talented band.
Shtab mentioned that the members of Charetta are from Long Island, New York, and Lines Don’t Cross is based in the Bronx. “I really want to support local bands. We’re in the cultural capital of the world and we’ve got tons of talents, so I was really adamant about finding people local here.”
One of the memorable songs that the band played is their single “Apocalypse,” which is also the title of their EP. Its rock anthem sounds were a definite crowd-pleaser. Later on in the set, they played a softer coffee house song. A large group of students put their arms around one another and started swaying to the sweet, mellow tune.
“What I liked was that it was different from a lot of other Rods bands, and it brings in more people,” Colleen Signorelli, FCRH ’16, said while mingling with other students after the concert. “They get to see how cool Rods is, and they don’t get to see a lot of metal bands—at least not this close for free, so I thought that was great. Also what I like is that the bands always give out free CDs or like they’ll play at a discounted price.”
“The show was really fantastic, said Billy Hanifin, FCRH ’16, a self-proclaimed metal fan. “I was surprised to see this kind of talent, at Rods and I wasn’t expecting metal. I loved it.”
What is up next for Rodrigues? Signorelli mentioned that she was looking forward to hearing jazz later this month, while Shtab said that they are hoping to bring in rappers and possibly hold a rap battle. Ross shared that student bands such as Scout and the Fordham Jazz Collective will be performing in February. The coffee house will also be hosting a brokenhearted themed open mic night for Valentine’s weekend.
