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It was the typical setup in the Memorial Union for the Campus Bands concert: two stages opposite each other with the audience huddled in between. The nine bands featured on the “Campus Bands” compilation CD performed Friday for a moderate-sized audience that drifted in and out throughout the night.
Organized by James Gilmore, the event showcased the campus’s pop and rock musicians. The twang of acoustic guitars, pounding drums and soaring vocals echoed down the halls of the Union.
There was a good mix of acoustic sets and full bands. Rachel Joyce performed a stripped-down version of some of her songs with two acoustic guitars and a drummer playing a box drum. Her voice resonated beautifully as she sang, “Melodies softly soaring through my atmosphere” over and over from “Soul Meets Body” by Death Cab for Cutie.
Stephen Hall, guitarist for Joyce, said he got together with the vocalist at the last minute.
“We got together and picked a group of songs, a couple Dave Matthews songs that we both liked a lot and that we both kind of knew,” Hall said. For such little preparation, Hall was able to bust out some proficient solos.
“I think there should be more of [these events],” Hall said. “It brings people out and lets them hang out together a little better.”
James Gilmore boasted a different side of his musical endeavors from his usual solo work and band 2 Days Later. GreenerSide, his band from his hometown of Eliot, Maine, rocked through covers of The Decemberists and the ’90s hit “Push” by Matchbox 20.
Some of the vocals were buried in the mix, and there were some awkward transitions, but the bands and audience seemed unphased. A loyal group of fans had their dancing shoes on and didn’t stop swaying to the music.
Even some parents came out to support the music. Laurie and Larry Harris, parents of student body president-elect and 2 Days Later drummer Brian Harris, said they were proud to see their son play.
“He’s been playing since he was in fifth grade,” Laurie said.
The Battle of the Bands concert held each spring usually draws a bigger crowd than was seen at Friday’s concert. The Campus Bands concert shared the same set-up, but there was no competition. Perhaps it was the lack of competition that caused audiences to thin out at various points, especially as solo acoustic performers took the stage.
Gilmore said in an earlier interview that he plans to travel to other campuses in Maine and organize similar events and compilation albums. He has already been in talks with Husson University of Bangor.
Bangor Daily News