“Loud Noises” Rocks Rockland

Hundreds crowded Haverstraw's Kings Daughter Library on Jan.22 to see local bands perform at the "Loud Noises Show." Big-name bands played alongside unknown musicians for an audience of middle-school, high-school, and a few SUNY Rockland students. 

"It's always fun to see these new, young bands show off their music," said RCC student Brian Stritmater when asked about the show.

At $9, the admission fee seemed steep for a local performance, but the quality of music definitely shed any feelings of buyers' remorse.  

Eight bands and artists performed at the event including, Slow Motion Sickness, The Rise and Fall, Floral Terrace, The Night is Over, Dresden 45, Silence the Feedback, Alex Curtis, and Billy Houlihan. Each band was allotted a ten minute set to impress the crowd with their music.

Although most of the bands had a harder edge, there was something for everyone. Billy Houlihan, for example, performed on a keyboard during his set, covering lighter, mainstream songs. He even covered Billy Joel's "Piano Man," harmonica and all! 

One of the harder bands was Silence the Feedback. With powerful guitar solos, hard hitting bass, and fast-paced rhythms, the band did a tremendous job putting the "loud" in "Loud Noise Show."  They played mostly original songs, with a very interesting and impressive cover of the Beatles's "Day Tripper."

The lighting also added to the already entertaining performance.

Floral Terrace, another hard rock band, utilized catchy melodies and terrific stage presence during their performance. One RCC sophomore said, "When the lead singer, Justin Olori, hopped on the chair I felt he really connected with the audience." 

The Night is Over's earsplitting vocals coupled with angry lyrics supplemented the deafening instrumentals to create a true hard rock performance. The crowd couldn't get enough of them; the more intensely the band played, the more the audience begged to hear louder, angrier music.

The band inspired head banging and got the audience in such a frenzy, a mosh pit nearly ensued. 

However, the band that received the most positive attention was newly formed Dresden 45, who have only been performing since January. Their catchy melodies coupled with harmonizing vocals and upbeat drumming, left fans screaming "encore."

They incorporated complicated rhythms in each song and changed the pace repeatedly, which added great variety and richness to their music. They also had a diverse, almost eclectic, set list, ranging from soft songs with slow enchanting melodies to hard songs reminiscent of the other bands performing.      

The performance room was too small for the event— with hundreds of people at the show, the lack of space forced many to stand outside and bear the frigid January night. Audience members began to gather in the lobby next to the room of the event where CDs and memorabilia could be purchased. 

RCC student and performer, Devon Beuschel described the night by saying, "It was good music, a good crowd, and an awesome way to spend a Friday."