By Rosa Barney
The atmosphere was calm and collected as Bronze Radio Return, Five Times August and Matt White performed at afterHOURS Thursday night to an audience sitting cross-legged on the floor.
Despite being short two members, Bronze Radio Return opened the show by performing its first acoustic show for Northeastern students.
The self-described “rootsy-rock blues” band is comprised of Chris Henderson on lead vocals and guitar, Rob Griffith on drums and Matt Warner on the keyboard, plus the two members who were missing.
Five Times August took the stage after Bronze Radio Return. Though the name may suggest that Five Times August is a band, it’s a solo performer named Brad Skistimas.
One song into the set, Skistimas was faced with technical difficulties involving the sound with his guitar, but was unfazed.
“The problems with the guitar ended up being good. It gave me an opportunity to laugh and connect with the audience,” he said.
Skistimas said he enjoys playing at colleges.
“College shows are great because there is no drinking and you don’t have to worry about drunk people requesting songs you don’t sing,” he said.
Skistimas said he has been performing professionally for about seven or eight years. The name Five Times August comes from his birthday, which is on August 5.
Skistimas addressed the audience on several occasions, explaining stories behind his songs.
“This song is for anybody that just got dumped,” he said. “Lots of my songs are about dumped people.”
Skistimas also encouraged the crowd to find him on MySpace and Facebook, assuring everyone that he manages his own online profiles.
“I’m a big fan of Five Times August and when I heard he was coming I was ecstatic,” said Bari Krug, a freshman graphic design major. “I was not disappointed.”
Matt White came on after Five Times August, accompanied by his band, made up by Lee Nadel on bass, Markus Dorfmann on drums and Michael Gerry Reid on guitar.
White explained to the audience that whenever they perform at colleges he urges his band members to explore what the school has to offer.
“I wanted to get the Northeastern experience so I got a haircut at Supercuts earlier today,” White said.
White has a song in the movie “Shrek the Third” as well as various television shows.
“I was really aggressive about getting my song in Shrek. I called the music executive and she told me what they were looking for in the song. I called her back 20 minutes later and told her I had a song,” White said.
White, who played both guitar and keyboards at the show, and his band used afterHOURS to test a new song they had come up with earlier that day.
Fans sat on the floor singing along to the songs they knew while swaying back and forth rhythmically.
“I came for Matt White and he was amazing, but Brad [Skistimas] was a great surprise,” Ashley McDonough, a freshman criminal justice major, said while she waited in line to get White’s autograph.
As the show was wrapping up, White and his band covered “Free Falling” by Tom Petty. The crowd sang along enthusiastically.
“I didn’t really know much about any of the bands that played tonight but I am so glad that I came,” said Casey O’Sullivan, a freshman psychology major. “I really liked the Tom Petty cover. I am definitely getting the CDs later.”
