By Carolina Do Nascimento, news correspondent
Indie rock and low-fi music filled AfterHours Friday night as artists (Sandy) Alex G and Puppy Problems performed to an energetic crowd.
(Sandy) Alex G was the main act of the concert, which label company Green Line Records hosted. The Philadelphia-based indie band is made up of lead singer Alex Giannascoli, known as Alex G, bass player Sam Acchione and guitarist John Wesley Heywood. They began with their song “Kute,” followed by “Wicked Boy,” one of their Bandcamp hits. Alex G sang and played both the guitar and keyboard and his bandmates followed along on percussion and bass.
Alex G began working with music in 2010, when he started to write and produce his own music before uploading it to music platform Bandcamp. He made headlines in the music scene after Frank Ocean sought him out to collaborate for Ocean’s in his 2016 albums “Endless” and “Blonde.”
Nora Scott, a third-year sociology and human services combined major, was the principal student producer for the show. She estimated that more than 150 people showed up for the event.
“I emailed Alex G’s booking agent and we negotiated back and forth,” Scott said in an interview inside the venue before the concert. “I think it’s going to be great. Alex always puts on a good show.”
Jess Leech, an avid (Sandy) Alex G fan who studies film scoring at Berklee College of Music, came to Northeastern for the concert not only to enjoy the music, but also to get some inspiration.
“Hearing [(Sandy) Alex G] just through headphones and then seeing them actually perform the music on stage was surreal,” Leech said. “I didn’t know [Alex G] sang through his teeth. It was just really cool to see it all happen on stage. I am trying to do that myself, with my own music, so it’s all studying, kind of.“
An hour before the show started, a crowd had already gathered around the AfterHours stage to secure spots. The event was free and was open to students.
Alex G engaged with his fans in between songs through jokes and discussions about movies. The long guitar solos and indie rhythm energized the crowd dance. The band picked up the pace of the show with upbeat tracks like “Kicker” and “Poison Root,” receiving cheers from the crowd in return.
“I was stoked to hear what they had to play,” Leech said. “I really liked what they did with ‘Poison Root.’ It was really cool when they fell into that ‘improv’ freeform stuff.”
As the band exhausted its lineup, Alex G asked crowd members if they had any specific song they wanted to hear. The audience unanimously yelled “Sarah” back, and the rest of the show continued with multiple requests.
Local band Puppy Problems, which comprises of three members — Vocalist Sami Martasian, drummer Joel Demelo and bassist Chelsea Ursin — opened for (Sandy) Alex G. The band’s discography consists of six indie digital albums, all released in the musical platform Bandcamp.
“They [Puppy Problems] play a lot in basements around the city so that’s how I know and became friends with them,” Scott said. “It’s good to be able to add some local bands to the shows so people learn about bands that they can go see anytime.”
The group performed a cappella pieces and original songs. While some audience members eagerly stood in front of the stage to watch, many enjoyed the show as they sipped coffee from the nearby Starbucks.
“Isn’t it crazy that we just happen to all be at Starbucks at the same time?” Martasian joked to the crowd.
Katlyn Gallery, a senior communication sciences and disorders major at Emerson College, is a new fan of both bands. She said she came with a friend not expecting much from the show, but enjoyed it nonetheless.
“I’m usually more into R&B and hip-hop, but this was a cool change in genres,” Gallery said. “Puppy Problems was cool. I usually don’t listen to that kind of music so it was cool to hear it live.”
(Sandy) Alex G released its newest album “Rocket” last May on the band’s webpage and on Bandcamp. The band will perform on May 25 at the Boston Calling Music Festival. Puppy Problems’ latest album, “Practice Kissing,” is also available on Bandcamp.
Correction: An update was issued March 22 at 10:59 p.m. to clarify the number of attendees and the Puppy Problems band members.
