Sepomana is scene and heard

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Dynamic vocals and rocking beats captivated concert-goers last Friday in McCullough Social Space at Sepomana, the annual music festival sponsored by Middlebury College's student radio-station, WRMC. After careful debate by the Board of Directors, WRMC brought three up and coming artists to the College in a raucous show. Baby Dayliner, Mobius Band and Andrew Bird came together in what was arguably the most impressive Sepomana turnout in years.


BABY DAYLINER: reviewed by Melissa Marshall

Armed only with a suitcase full of equipment and a voice compared to Sinatra and Bowie, Baby Dayliner strided onto the McCullough stage in front of a crowd that would have made even the most seasoned Proctor patron nervous. With his eclectic musical influences ranging from 80s synth pop to underground rap to Japanese Kabuki Theatre music, the somewhat awkward Ethan Marunas (later dubbed Baby Dayliner) seemed to win over the elite audience. Praised by hipster-hyped music magazine XLR8R as "the white, bequiffed, male vocalist brilliantly repackaged for the iTunes generation," Baby Dayliner did not disappoint. Was it his off-beat, cabaret-lounge vocal stylings that endeared him to Sepomana specators? Perhaps it was his beats reminiscent of techno darlings Daft Punk. Or maybe the secret to his success lay in his stiff dance moves that caused some in attendance to cringe in communal awkwardness. In any event, Marunas' originality and provactive bebops comprised an opening act appropriate for a festival bent on broadening musical horizons. This baby, however, is going to have to work on his stage presence and delivery if he hopes to one day be a headliner.


MOBIUS BAND: reviewed by Starrett Berry

Catchy, yet complicated, Mobius Band was a perfect group to bring in for Sepomana. My friend coined a fitting phrase for this band: Postal Service on steroids. This electro-rock trio got everyone in McCullough moving. Their music was enthralling, fun and epic all at the same time. Their electronics blended well with the instruments, painting a cinematic soundscape around the social space. The band, hailing from Shutesbury, Mass., built up their music from small simple riffs to an explosion of sound that kept the audience dancing through every single song. Their stage presence was contagious, and everyone responded well to it even after they broke the atmosphere to ask the sound technician to fix the monitors. Despite a few jarring technical difficulties, Mobius' resonant vocals and driving beats filled the room, creating a strong connection between the audience and the three Wesleyan University grads. Even though most of those in attendance didn't know the words, this did not prevent them from having fun. The band is sure to take off with success - good news for the avid indie/electric listeners on campus.


ANDREW BIRD: reviewed by Jordan Nassar

Two poached eggs, homefries and herbal tea. Whole wheat toast to the left, he heaped black pepper all over his food before asking for hot sauce. Andrew Bird enjoyed lazy late brunch at Steve's Park Diner, the afternoon after Sepomana - it was the first time Bird seemed to relax since he arrived in Middlebury the night before.

Andrew's experience at Sepomana was not what one would immediately refer to as "going off without a hitch." After having spent almost a day in airports - a storm getting in the way of the otherwise quick trip between Chicago and Burlington redirected him through D.C. - and exhausted from driving alone from the airport to Middlebury during Friday's wintry thunderstorm, he arrived at McCullough only an hour or two before the show was supposed to begin. Whether his unkempt and somewhat agitated demeanor was a product of his treacherous journey or just a side-effect of his genius, I am unsure, but after his sound check, Baby Dayliner and Mobius Band played their sets and Andrew was up, ready or not.

It seemed that a little nap, a few espresso shots and well over 400 people staring at him were suitable conditions for Andrew Bird to play some music. His music, as those at Sepomana witnessed, is not something one merely plays. A one man show, Andrew seemed to build the songs in front of the audience. Beginning with a simple violin line, he recorded himself on stage and looped that back, adding another melody to it, plucking out a bass line and some harmonies. Quick transitions to his glockenspiel and guitar, all the while recording the instruments separately and playing them back together, grew into multi-layered songs, with his voice and whistling completing his strikingly unusual and brilliantly unique performance.

Those who heard Andrew's music before Friday's concert were, from what I could tell, more than satisfied with his performance. Having played some of his most popular songs like Sovay and Measuring Cups, and then treating us to a new one on his record planned for release early next year, there was not much to complain about. I imagine some Sepomana-goers, having expected a more danceable rock band, would have been disappointed by Andrew's acoustic, slower melodies - had they not been in awe of his remarkable performance.

After a gracious encore, the exhausted Andrew Bird retired from stage, the lights went on, and the show was over. On their way out, the audience looked satisfied, some buying Andrew Bird merchandise and most discussing highlights of the show. And so, another Sepomana by WRMC came to a successful close.