Another Eddy graced the Common grounds Wednesday, quickly becoming the favorite musical tradition at Biola. A solid amount of students emerged to witness three bands take the stage and play their tunes. The Fragrance, one of Biola’s respected chapel bands, opened up the night, playing some of their original songs for their recently released EP. You may not have heard these songs at a chapel recently, and the musical style exhibited reflected a difference from the usual worship anthems that the band has been known to play. Their brief 4-song set was capped by an anthemic closing song called “Awake My Soul,” on which the band brought some brass players on the stage to accompany them, along with a posse of bonus drum players who punctuated the beats and took the song to another level.
The Fragrance was followed by the popular Vespers, who have played numerous shows on the Biola campus. The band brought back their set of infectious folky pop rock tunes, starting off the set with a new song, which featured a prominent bass line and a slow-building climax that didn’t quite reach the anticipated peak, but was solid nonetheless. The song “Neckties and Evening Dresses” lyrically evoked images of the climate of the rest of America, where the line “tomorrow when the stock market crashes, we’ll be left sitting on our assets” prompted singer Brandon Pfaff to say “I wrote this song a year and a half ago; I might’ve predicted something.” The band completed their brief 6-song set with poise and musical tightness that you would expect a veteran band to exhibit.
The Orange-based Aushua was the next and final act to take the stage. The local band recently opened for Thrice at the Biola-exclusive show they played last December. But for this night at the Eddy, Aushua was the headliner. And they didn’t disappoint, putting together a punchy set of rock tunes that leave one eager to hear more. One could tell that this band was on quite a different level from the rest of the bands that played, and that they are right on the cusp of accomplishing some great things.
Singer Nathan Gammill demonstrated outstanding vocal range, which hearkens to a younger, cleaner version of Bono’s signature rasp. Comparisons to The Killers’ Brandon Flowers as well as John Rzenik of the Goo Goo Dolls will also inevitably come to mind, putting Newyear in a class with the greatest of them. But Aushua’s sound, while featuring similarities to those aforementioned acts, is wholly unique. With a polished sound a notch above garage rock, and atmospheric tendencies, the band kept on proving that they are quite ready to ascend into the higher territories of the music scene. One thing became absolutely certain as their set list wore on: these guys won’t be opening for other bands much longer. Aushua will be playing arenas and larger clubs sooner rather later – catch them while it’s still easy to do so!
