Brooklyn bands to play No-ViCE venue

Marcella Veneziale Staff Writer

Fresh off the success of their first show on Sept. 6, No-ViCE is gearing up for another exciting performance. Ex Models, caUSE co-MOTION! and Holy Hail are slated to play the outdoor space near the Doubleday Studio Arts Building on Sept. 14.

No-ViCE Committee Chair Sam Bloch ’09, along with members Nick Marmet ’10 and Noah Kardos-Fein ’08, spent this past summer booking the fall semester shows.

“The coolest part is that it’s outside [at Doubleday Studios],” Bloch said about the Sept. 14 show. Traditional venues such as Matthew’s Mug and the College Center MPR “are stable, [but] not as fun.” He continued, “We are always on the lookout for new places…and input is welcome.”

“The ethos of No-ViCE is that we want a smaller environment,” said Kardos-Fein. “It’s a much better experience to have a small room with everyone close together and close to the band.”

All three bands hail from Brooklyn, and each boasts a dedicated fan base. Ex Models are, according to Bloch, “a seminal noise punk band…that takes cues from Devo and the Talking Heads.”

Ex Models’ group members have changed in the past years, and have included members of the rock band Oneida (also Brooklyn-based). Their No-ViCE performance marks one of the first times that the band will perform with its original 2001 line-up.

The second act, caUSE co-MOTION!, plays poppy punk tunes that are not only “very loud and energetic” but “influenced by television personalities,” said Bloch. The group is signed to the record label What’s Your Rupture?, joining acts such as Love Is All and the Long Blondes. Both Ex Models and caUSE co-MOTION! have played at Vassar in 2003 and 2006, respectively.

Holy Hail, described by Bloch as “country-inflected dance punk,” has opened for New Young Pony Club in London.

Last year, No-ViCE was an upstart organization. The group has built a sizeable following of 10 students and has become known for bringing enjoyable, challenging music to unexpected campus venues.

This year, the group has remained faithful to the commitment of last year’s heads, Jake Friedman ’07 and Zach Rottman ’07, to bring lesser-known bands to campus.

Though the events for this semester are already booked, the organization is seeking performers who work in a variety of media for the future. “[We’d like to see] more hip-hop acts, DJs, step teams, marching bands, performance art and visual acts.”

Though the group is now a committee of ViCE, it still retains a high level of independence. The D.I.Y. spirit is strong, and Bloch called it an “empowerment, that you can do it all yourself.” But thanks to the support of its parent organization, No-ViCE has already expanded its publicity efforts with help from ViCE Publicity Chair Anh Nguyen ’08 and the publicity committee.

Much of the No-ViCE publicity now takes place online at myspace.com/novicevassar and the blog no-vice.blogspot.com. Students can also preview the bands that No-ViCE has booked on the group’s MySpace page, which Bloch hoped would bring more people out to hear new bands.

Bloch considers MySpace to be extremely beneficial for No-ViCE. “We add bands all the time on MySpace and [message bands to] book a lot of shows,” he said.

Kardos-Fein said, “It’s good to have something like MySpace since we don’t have an official No-ViCE Web site yet. Once you know one band, you have a reputation.”

According to Bloch, No-ViCE “allows students to hear new things, [and is] a gateway for under-represented music.”