March 8th is WMEB’s Battle of the Bands, so I sat down with one of the competing bands, the Noise Complaints. The Battle of the Bands will occur on March 8, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Wells Central Pub. I spoke with members Jesse “JJ” Bifulco, Aidan Bradley, Domenic Cucinotta, Ben Hallett and Julia Campion. They also want to shout out their secret sixth member, Eli Podolsky, who plays bass with them occasionally.
The band started when Bifulco brought his keyboard to the fourth floor of York’s standard room. Campion was there, and he played “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer. Campion told Bifulco that they should jam out sometime, and each member eventually joined these jam sessions to form the band Noise Complaints. The band owes its roots to the York fourth-floor camaraderie as they would host concerts in the bathroom where most of the floor would show out for them with some people waiting outside the doors knowing they would get busted for a noise complaint, which is where the band gets its name.
Campion is the band’s lead singer and guitarist with Bradley on lead guitar. Hallett plays saxophone and bass guitar, Cucinotta on drums and percussion and Bifulco on the keyboard. The Band got their start playing outside of York, eventually transitioning to Sigma Chi’s Open Mic Nights. Each band member said that their favorite part of being in the group was their time spent at York, jamming in both Bifulco’s room as well as the bathrooms to the point where they started receiving noise complaints. Using this as inspiration, this band is defined by its presence on campus.
“It is really cool seeing this band in their first appearance outside of York and all the progress they have made in their art. I can’t wait to see them at the Battle of the Bands, to see what they have planned” says Open Mic Night participant Jazmine DeBeauchamp, “I really like their lead singer, Campion. She did a fantastic job with the Band’s cover of Duvet by Bôa, which is one of my favorite bands.”
Last fall, on Nov. 5, Noise Complaints played a house show at Sigma Chi. The band served as the opener up for The Amazing Bozo, a Houston-based musician who plays folk-punk and country originals. He cheered on the group, saying ‘THE NOISE COMPLAINTS 4 LIFE’ on the announcement of the band’s involvement in the Battle of the Bands. With backers ranging from fourth floor York to Houston, Texas, The Noise Complaints are ready to be loud on March 8.
WMEB’s Battle of the Bands will be hosted March 8th from 6pm to 9pm, with The Noise Complaints and other bands such as “And Then Some,” “Free Parking,” “The Accountability,” “Tease” and “Chuck’s Bike O’ Rama.” The event will also feature free entry, trivia, merch and fundraising.
“I cannot wait to see the musical talents of all these groups go head to head and compete, but I just want to hear all the wonderful bands our campus has to offer,” says Evan Hollander, a DJ at WMEB.
