ViCE’s annual Welcome Back Concert featured alternative rock band Wednesday last Friday, September 22. The rock quartet took the stage after opening act Devon Thompson on the Frances Daly Fergusson Quadrangle, which is next to the Vogelstein Center for Drama and Film, on the evening before the autumnal equinox. To get the Vassar students interested before the event, ViCE had placed posters all over the place and created mural-sized chalk art in front of the Gordon Commons steps.
Wednesday met while attending the University of North Carolina at Asheville. They are both originally from North Carolina. Prior to her junior year of college, lead singer Karly Hartzman had not committed much time to learning how to play an instrument. She intermittently participated in other musical endeavors before starting to perform with current band members Alan Miller, Xandy Chelmis, Ethan Baechtold, and Jake Lenderman. The lead singer’s impact was encapsulated by the independent online music journal The Line of Best Fit, which stated that “Karly Hartzman’s songs are rooted in the pathos of small town southern USA.”
In the beginning, Hartzman and her bandmates performed at a variety of garage-rock events, cautiously introducing themselves to the Asheville music scene. Through this practice, the band not only started to connect with other local groups, but they also started to find their sound. Hartzman’s forceful, gritty vocals fit very well with the somewhat unconventional shoegaze-country instrumentation of the trio. The group may look like an unlikely pair of country music fans, but their North Carolina upbringing has made them masters at fusing gentle vocals and twangy guitars.
Mosh pits appeared and disappeared as the band performed their way through their set list. Pupils hunched over one another’s shoulders. Compared to earlier ViCE concerts held on Noyes Circle and Main Drive, the stage, which was positioned close to Vogelstein’s left, provided a more private and intimate setting. The crowd went wild for songs like “She’s Actin’ Single (I’m Drinkin’ Doubles),” a version of a song by the late country musician Gary Stewart.
Charlie Brodkin, 26, found both sets enjoyable. “Wednesday and the opener, Devon Thompson, were both good!” Nor was it the first time he had heard the band’s name.A patron of the Philadelphia cafe where I work suggested that I pay attention to them.
While some students, like Brodkin, had heard Wednesday’s music before the performance, other students, like Gavin Akoto ’25, had never heard the band’s music before. The band’s music startled me because I had expected it to be more peaceful. Instead, it was much more energetic than I had imagined. Wednesday’s songs were unique and they did a great job of capitalizing on the enthusiasm of the audience, which is why I like them, Akoto thought.
Throughout the evening, Hartzman engaged in conversation with the audience, asking for requests for songs and inspiring them to pursue their musical dreams. Even though this particular song wasn’t on their initial lineup, a yell from the crowd on Wednesday led them to play it: “November,” off their 2020 album “I was Trying to Describe You to Someone.” The band’s responsiveness to the energy of the audience thrilled ViCE co-president Dora Levite ’24, who exclaimed, “My favorite part of the show was seeing how much the band loved the crowd.” The audience provided such fantastic energy, and they were so amazing and glad to be there. Throughout the evening, the band engaged with the audience, creating a much-needed closeness and warmth.
The triumph of the performance came after a fantastic, but almost rain-checked, Spring Concert the previous year. The weather was wet and JPEGMAFIA had to cancel, so the Spring Concert was a memorable event. But as the night wore on Friday, there was no sign of rain. After the event, excited students made their way back to their own apartments and dorms. Everything went off without a hitch.
