OPINION: It’s no secret that the University of Maine’s party scene is frat-based. On an average Saturday, you can drive through Frat Row and see numerous houses opening their doors to well-hydrated students in search of another reason to sit through five days of school every week. Delta, TKE, Kap Sig, Beta, ATO, ASig and more are frequent student destinations, typically featuring a mix of house music from an amateur DJ and a plethora of pong and die players, sardined in a pseudo-rave room full of freshmen shouting “SO WHAT’S YOUR MAJOR?” It is quintessential and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
However, an alternative to the traditional frat party has begun to take hold of the UMaine houses hosting parties this semester. In lieu of Bluetooth speakers and LED disco lights, actual rock bands are beginning to take center stage. The bands themselves are nothing new to UMaine. Houses like Bulkhead and Radon (RIP) have been hosting concerts for a while now. Radon, in particular, set the bar for what a band house should look like — skate magazines all over the wall, a stage that’s both level with and accessible to the crowd and bands that actually love doing what they do. My first Radon concert featured Snake Lips, Gunshot Glitter and Care For, all of whom were fantastic.
This semester, it seems like live concerts are becoming increasingly popular. Sept. 25, in particular, was a monumental night for Orono-based bands, with ATO hosting an outdoor charity show featuring And Then Some, Fishscale, Common Earth Worms and Free Beer (the band), and TKE hosting Park Street Band for their first show of the year.
Playing guitar for PSB has been the highlight of my semester so far, and the crowds have been electric. Having nearly 300 people watch you screw up “Bark At The Moon” is mildly infuriating, but it beats being sandwiched in a wall of sweaty teenagers while Rhianna’s “S&M” plays through a JBL in the corner of the room. Original songs be damned, I will play “Santeria” a hundred times if the people keep singing with us.
As someone who loves frat parties as much as any other 19-year-old guy on campus, I think there is something untouchable about a live band. For me, it is the human element, both in the shared experience of a crowd witnessing live music and in every mistake a band can make. Bands can reach out to their audience, receive feedback and generally have just as much fun as the crowd.
It evokes what I thought college would look like as a kid: hundreds of people partying, not caring about the assignment due that night and the class scheduled tomorrow. Am I arguing that a live band is definitively better than the traditional frat party? I would say no. Like most things, there is a right time and place, and I feel that right now is the right time and place for the live band scene.
