By Madelyn Stone, News Staff
Four Northeastern organizations, three months of planning, two internationally-known musicians and dozens of students came together for an acoustic show Dec. 1, when Brian Fallon and Matthew Pryor presented softer sides of their musical stylings.
With sponsorship from the Resident Student Association (RSA), Music and Entertainment Industry Student Association (MEISA) and afterHOURS, the event celebrated Tastemakers Magazine’s 26th issue release. The show’s featured artists performed distinct versions of their own genres, with Pryor playing songs from his bands, the Get Up Kids and the New Amsterdams, as well as his solo projects. Fallon followed with acoustic renditions of songs by The Gaslight Anthem, the group he fronts.
MEISA President Alexandra Bragagnolo, a junior communication studies major, played a large role in organizing the event. She said they chose to do an acoustic show for more than practical reasons.
“You wouldn’t realistically be able to book a band like Gaslight Anthem in afterHOURS because of the cost,” Bragagnolo said. “So we thought, ‘why not bring just the solo act acoustic to afterHOURS?’ The students get the same content in a more intimate atmosphere and at a much lower price to the school but they still get a really great unique show out of it.”
Tom Ponsart, a junior music industry major and MEISA’s live coordinator, agreed.
“It’s a rare scenario where you’ll see Brian Fallon doing just a tour by himself, playing acoustic,” he said. “We wanted to have a very unique show that only Northeastern students can get.”
Pryor spoke to The News briefly after his set. He noted that, while playing in a full band setting is fun, there is something special about an acoustic performance.
“I think there’s something really powerful about just one person kind of letting it all out and just kind of being somewhat exposed, kind of naked,” Pryor said. “And it’s very honest and earnest and it’s just a different sort of thing.”
The heads of Tastemakers and MEISA said the show came together because Tastemakers had an afterHOURS date reserved, but MEISA’s planned November show kept getting pushed back. MEISA had the funds to put on a show, and reached out to Tastemakers to form a partnership for the event.
While MEISA coordinated much of the pre-show details, Tastemakers took the lead in hosting the show for their concert release. The magazine’s marketing director Caitlin Kullberg, a middler marketing major, helped run the merchandise table at the event, where the magazine gave out shirts, posters and stickers.
“Without [MEISA] we really wouldn’t have been able to get acts this big,” she said. “So we collaborated with what artists we wanted to bring in. We decided on two acoustic acts that are bigger names, which is pretty cool. It will probably be one of our biggest issue releases ever.”
Tastemakers President Kyle Risley, a senior marketing major, also said the event was one of the largest the magazine has had for an issue release.
“This is one of our best issue drops in recent memory,” he said. “We have to thank MEISA for that. Very good issue release for us.”
Students seemed to appreciate the exclusive combination of such different artists performing in an intimate setting. Jake Raymond, a middler finance major, was among those attending the event.
“I think [the event] is awesome,” he said. “I’m actually from Red Bank, New Jersey, where Brian [Fallon]’s from. I’m actually going home next week to see Gaslight Anthem. So yeah, big fan. I’ve never seen him play acoustic, I’ve only seen him with his band, so it’s different.”
Risley said Tastemakers’ issue releases usually feature Northeastern talent, so having two national acts play was an exciting change.
Some students said both singers attracted them to the event.
“I love the Get Up Kids, I’ve been a fan for years,” said Lindsay Fortier, a senior music industry major. “So I’m actually really excited. I feel like everybody’s here for Brian Fallon, who I also love – I love Gaslight Anthem. But I’m very excited to see Matt Pryor here.”
Though well-attended, several students commented on the lack of promotion, including Ben Greer, a middler architecture major.
“I feel like this is normally the way it goes,” he said. “There’s a band that plays and no one knows about it until there’s just a concert already happening, and then they go to it. They don’t really advertise.”
Risley said that the lack of advertising was a result of time constraints.
“I wish that the contracts would have cleared sooner so we could have advertised the event earlier than we did, which was Sunday night,” he said.
While many audience members expressed excitement before and after the event, a seemingly polite quiet pervaded the show. The hush was most evident between the songs played by Pryor, who performed first. The Kansas-born artist joked about this sense of reservation, noting the whir of the Starbucks espresso machines above any noise from the audience.
“College gigs are always slightly odd, this is not the weirdest one I’ve played,” Pryor said. “I’ve played in a cafeteria twice, no four, three times – one time the power went out in a cafeteria in Oklahoma. I’ve played in a frat house in New Jersey. So this is just like a regular show, this is not that strange. It’s just everyone was very quiet so it was very hard to read if people were having fun or not. But I think that they were.”
Risley also thought attendees enjoyed the show.
“The event went well,” he said. “The performers were very good. I think the people who are here are very excited about the event.”
Audience members expressed this excitement and the thrill of seeing such talent at no cost.
“I think it’s really awesome,” said Nabilah Abuljadayel, a freshman business major. “Seriously. It’s that easy to go and see the lead singer of the Gaslight Anthem. And it’s for free, and I think it’s really amazing.”
