Founder’s Day showcases diverse musical talents

Mike Newmark Assistant A&E Editor

It’s the end of April, and that means the arrival of bluebirds, cherry blossoms, and Founder’s Day. Yes, the day we’ve all been waiting for is fast approaching, so load up those beer helmets and lace up those running shoes for some merrily drunken fun in the sun. But what would Founder’s Day be without music? The very thought gives us at the Arts & Entertainment section a shudder. Luckily, the good people at The Vassar Students’ Association have prepared a great, diverse lineup, and we’re here to let you know what aural treats are in store for you.

Vassar’s own Taylor Brown Trio is first on the roster from 11:00 to 11:35 a.m., featuring singer/guitarist/harmonica player Taylor Brown ’06, Andrew Lipow ’07 on bass/guitar/vocals and Rigel Byrum-Ridge ’06 on drums/vocals. The band has moved the heads and warmed the hearts of Vassar students with their combination of blues, rock and folk. Brown says, “Their jazz background makes for an interesting combination with my folk roots. But we all come together on the blues. I’m thrilled to be playing with these guys.” The beauty of their music testifies to their own strong fusion and the wealth of musicianship that Vassar has to offer.

In keeping with the bluesy tradition, BB Grand will be playing from 11:50 a.m. to 12:35 p.m. BB Grand is a blues quintet from the Hudson Valley area, known for playing a host of classic rock covers during their shows. They are regular favorites at the historic Hyde Park Brewery near the home of Franklin Roosevelt.

Following BB Grand is bluegrass singer-songwriter Jake Armerding at 12:50 p.m. The Boston-raised Armerding became infatuated with bluegrass at a tender age, and over the years he learned to play guitar, fiddle, and mandolin. After doing time in his father’s bluegrass band Northern Lights, he decided to fly solo, and his eponymous album opened to critical acclaim in 2003. Armerding’s music plays like bluegrass-influenced pop: it’s easily listenable, yet it carries the rootsy, emotional heft of a dusty back-country road. His sonorous tenor and multi-instrumentation lends character to songs like “Peace of Mind (Lost in Back Bay)” and “The Ballad of Sorrow and Joy.”

The laid-back, funky and genre-bending style of the Philadelphia quintet Townhall will grace our campus at 1:50 p.m. The group debuted in 2003 with The New Song—a critically lauded and promising set of songs that blurred funk, blues, dub, soul, bluegrass, and folk into a deliciously creative concoction.

They wear influences such as John Lennon and Paul Simon on their sleeves, but they add many contemporary touches for a sound that’s refreshingly backward-glancing and forward-thinking. George Stanford (on vocals, guitar, bass, trombone, and percussion—whew!) lives above a laundromat, and is “shaken awake every morning by the first spin-cycle of the day.” Might that locale reflect the spontaneity and gleeful absurdity of the band’s sound? They spin in circles stylistically, carrying you with them on their wild ride.

Next up is Antibalas at 3:05 p.m., an impressive 13-piece Afrobeat orchestra whose music references several points on the globe, including Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Formed in New York with a diverse membership, Antibalas initiated the “Africalia!” concert series “dedicated to celebrating Afrobeat, funk, and other diasporic music.” After a police raid shut down the long-running series, they turned their attention to studio recording and released three incredible albums. Their latest and most accomplished record, Who Is This America?, celebrates their cross-cultural approach with zest and immediacy, charged with throbbing bass, blasting horns, drums from every direction and a sinkful of other instruments thrown in for excellent measure. The members of Antibalas are also strong advocates for social change; they publicly denounce the ongoing war in Iraq, and support such progressive movements as the New York Zapatistas, Rainforest Relief, and the More Gardens Coalition.

Rounding off the day’s music at 4:15 p.m. is the emo/power-pop quartet A Second Chance from our own Poughkeepsie. Picking up where bands like Thursday and My Chemical Romance left off, A Second Chance specializes in laying passionate lyrics atop melodic post-hardcore riffs. They have recorded a limited edition self-titled EP and are currently working on their first full-length for Broken English Records, slated for late spring/early summer. The fiery passion they’ve invested into songs like “Tell Me Everything” distinguishes them from the emo pack, and their music should find a home in the hearts of those hooked on the style.