Over the last few weeks, I’ve been writing about artists on the College of William & Mary campus who have won substantial campus followings off the strength of dynamic live performances, top-notch recorded material, or a combination of both. If you’re an aspiring creative, these local talents can be as frustrating as they are enjoyable. They might remind you of that band you’ve been meaning to start since high school but never got around to or that folder of freestyles floating around your laptop. They might make you feel like hot garbage.
But you’re not garbage, hot or cold. If you’ve been dreaming of making music your whole life, there are plenty of resources on campus to help you fulfill those dreams. The Meridian Coffeehouse, for example, hosts frequent open-mic nights where you can get some live performance experience in front of a supportive crowd. If you’re interested in recording, there are studios in the basement of Earl Gregg Swem Library where you can lay down whatever songs are in your head with a helpful staff that will help you throughout the whole process.
If you’ve never performed or recorded music before, the most important thing you can do is embrace the fact that the first thing you do will probably suck, a lot. This is a key part of the process. There are a lot of reasons why it could suck. You could be held back by nervousness, lack of technical musical experience, or even the lack of a clear idea of what you want to sound like. All of these are normal stumbling blocks for newer musicians but they can all discourage you from making music. Don’t let them. A bad performance or recording can be a blessing that helps you identify problems you can fix for the next one.
Ultimately it’s important to remember that music, like other forms of creative expression is supposed to be fun and cathartic. If you want to keep your expression local, that’s cool & good. If you want to feel the thrill of putting your music out there, there’s plenty of free-to-use platforms out there like Bandcamp or Soundcloud, and with the right tags, your music can be heard by people from all over the globe.
The age of DIY is upon us and the entire world is at your feet if you want it there.
There’s a few big events happening at The Meridian this week that you should all be aware of. On Thursday, Feb.25, the third installment of the Got You Covered series blows into town, featuring the music of No Doubt & Gwen Stefani. Lots of great bands will be stepping up with their best interpretations of the best No Doubt/Gwen hits, including beloved campus punks, The Pyramidions.
The Pyramidions will also be playing at The Meridian on Saturday, Feb. 27 as part of a terrific line-up that also features emo stalwarts Say Your Name and the rapidly rising Talk to Plants. We’ve already discussed Say Your Name on here and you’ll hear all about Talk To Plants in the near future. Today I’d like to highlight The Pyramidions. The Pyramidions are self-described “cowboy goth noise freaks” and the label fits them to a tee. Their live performances blend a raw punk energy with the moodiness of goth-rock in the vein of Bauhaus. It’s a raucous bundle of passion that needs to be seen to believe and their new track “Ban All Men” captures that energy excellently. It’s the first song off their upcoming release which is, as of yet, untitled, but bound to contain much more top-notch goth punk to agitate the masses.
You can see The Pyramidions twice this week, once Thursday, Feb. 25th, at No Doubt Cover Night, and again Saturday, Feb. 27 with Talk To Plants and Say Your Name. As always the shows are located on 206 South Boundary Street at The Meridian.
Till I See You Again,
Kenny
