Indie Pop Act Surprises at Spring Weekend

By Alyssa Opdyke

This Saturday marked Fordham’s annual Spring Weekend concert, and proved that if there is one thing that most Fordham students can agree on, it is that indie pop is here to stay.

The concert opened with Fordham’s own The Suits, winners of Rodrigue’s Battle of the Bands contest. Notably joining the band on drums was Alex DeSimine, GSB ’15, frontman of the battle’s second place band and last year’s opening band, Second Child. The Suits brought an electronic and indie sound to the concert, enhanced by smooth vocals, strong bass and guitar and a faulty yet charming drum pad. Alyssa Shannon, FCRH ’16, said she had seen The Suits during the battle, and while she hadn’t voted for them, she was glad they won, as “the guys were having fun up there, so it was easy to get into.”

The band’s vocalist, Eddie Gore, FCRH ’15, expressed equal enthusiasm, saying the experience was, “like a graduation ceremony for our band, where all of our hard work has come to this point and now we will be sent out to do what we have been working so hard for.”

Following The Suits was The Colourist, an Orange County-based group that definitely brought some California warmth to the hot-and-cold Bronx. The set was more than enjoyable, with beachy guitar riffs, strong bass and breezy vocals by frontman Adam Castilla. However, the true standout of the band was Maya Tuttle, who brought energetic percussion and pixie-like vocals reminiscent of Ellie Goulding to the set. The group’s sound draws comparisons to fellow indie bands Bleachers and Foster the People, and was well received by Fordham students. Some members of the crowd even whispered they were a favorite on popular Sirius XM station Alt Nation.

However, the true highlight on Saturday was the headliner twenty one pilots. Though the selection of the Columbus duo was initially very negatively received by the Fordham community, vocalist and keyboardist Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun wowed the crowd with both their unique sound and nonstop engagement with the audience. From standing on crowd-held platforms, to Josh’s backflip off of Tyler’s piano, the duo was undeniably a thrill for Fordham students and a nightmare for Fordham security. Musically, twenty one pilots brought both older hits like “Holding On To You” and “House of Gold” off of 2013’s Vessel as well as new singles “Fairly Local” and “Tear in My Heart” off the upcoming Blurryface, to their set. Yet their pop/rap aesthetic remained constant in their hour-long performance.

Erica Mendoza, FCRH ’16, said that while she had low expectations for the set, she was “pleasantly surprised because their showmanship was incredible,” while Nicole Pieri, FCRH ’16, called the set “unexpectedly fun.” As an avid fan of the duo, I can honestly say that it was their best and most energizing of the four shows I have seen. I am just surprised the rest of Fordham did not see it coming.