Underground music scene gives SU student artists a place to grow

Editor’s note: Some of the sources in this story requested that only their first names be used so they don’t risk losing access to their music venues.

In a smokey attic on a recent weekend night, students vied to get one step closer to a floor-level stage. Twinkle lights hung from the ceiling, illuminating the crowd’s face as they waited, shoulder to shoulder, for music to start.

On Saturday night, The End music venue held its final show of the semester. This time it was attended by performers Toast, Charlie Burg and Clairo.

Spots such as The End make up Syracuse University’s underground music scene.

Big Red and Space Camp are also among the more popular music venues for students to see others perform their latest work. But Treehouse, a venue which appeared on the scene last semester, is creating a new outlet for electronic dance music on the Hill.

SU junior Lorenzo, a DJ and producer who hosts events at Treehouse, said that as an underclassman, he was bored with what the party scene had to offer. A few years later, as an upperclassman, he decided to create a space that was something the audience could experience.

“Sometimes artists will pull people they know from the audience and they’ll jam together on stage,” he said, adding that the intimate venue is what allows for those moments to occur.

Joe, an artist who regularly performs at Treehouse and helps Lorenzo plan events, got his musical start at Redfest as a freshman. The junior SUNY-ESF student describes Treehouse as lowkey because it doesn’t have as much of a presence as other venues, but it has the power to bring students from both SU and SUNY-ESF together.

“There’s a plethora of different artists and a melting pot of styles,” Joe said. “This is really an after-party spot because other (parties) close or shut down and people kind of just end up here.”

The pair said that underground venues such as theirs are how student artists in Syracuse can develop their brand and sound.

FLOTUS, a band on campus, started to do just that after winning SU Battle of the Bands. Starting off at house venues, FLOTUS picked up every opportunity to perform at intimate shows to connect with audiences.

The band’s next steps will be to expand the underground music scene by opening a new venue next semester. FLOTUS’ members said it will be a space for people to unwind and connect with other students.

Shallow Alcove, with freshmen Dan Harris and Griffin Goode on guitar and vocals, and Nick Fichter on vocals, synthesizer and bass, said they owe everything to the underground music community, especially Space Camp.

“It’s all about the music at houses,” Goode said. “This underground scene helps with development of artists and it gave us the space to develop.”

But first, artists have to get into the scene.

“You don’t just join. You have to be accepted,” he said. “But once you’re in, you’re in.”

As soon as the Bandier Program student trio broke into the scene, they recorded an EP in their dorms. Harris said if there’s one thing he’s learned from the underground community, it’s that students can do it all by themselves, and they don’t have to be professionals.

Two seniors who started making music as freshmen, Daniel Fridliand and DJ Jason McGill, have 5,000 hits on SoundCloud and worked various events, including silent discos at Juice Jam and Mayfest. They marketed themselves on Snapchat QR codes across campus, creating a brand for themselves despite being out of the Bandier circle, which dominates the community.

“There shouldn’t be a cap on who runs the scene, there should be diversity and students want variety,” Fridliand said.

Courtesy of Cosmatic

Another band playing underground venues is Cosmatic. The freshman band formed last semester and has been playing at local venues. The band met Lorenzo at Treehouse, and he’s mixing its upcoming EP.

The scene is intimately interconnected. Students help others grow through creating a new venue, collaborating on their next project or just playing music together.

Jon, who runs the venue SpitFam, said that running a house in the underground music scene is all about treating people well. It’s easy to get caught up in the “consume and produce model,” which can cause venues to get shut down because of the large party atmosphere, they said.

“Every time a good space closes, it means there’s less access for people who want or need those spaces for expression,” Jon said.

Chris Bossert and Matt Goodman, two of the band members of Cosmatic, said that without the underground music scene, especially The End, they wouldn’t have reached such a large audience.

Goodman, who works for The Westcott Theater as a graphic designer, said everyone is extremely trusting. Underground venues provide bands with gigs and trust the musicians to show up and perform well.

“It’s nice to have someone who will take a chance on you like that,” Goodman said. “You really don’t know how good it is until you go somewhere else.”

Cosmatic’s band dynamic, combined with the underground community, is unlike anything they’ve experienced before, Goodman said. No matter how many restrictions house venues face, the underground scene will always be there, he said.

“There are always people who are going to want to do it and that’s really all you need,” he said.