(Courtesy/Sarah Morris’18)
There’s something magical about seeing your peers on a big stage.
Maybe it’s the pride that comes with seeing their success, or maybe it’s exhilaration at the possibility that you, too, could reach new heights. Either way, a similarly electrifying vigor filled the dark room of The Basement when four enthusiastic high school bands performed on Friday, December 22.
Alternative-rock outfit Echolocation opened the night with a “reunion” set; the band is technically a past project of two experienced high school musicians, who now perform with Rat Motel, Radattack, and The Comos. The energy was high as a room full of enthusiastic teenagers crashed into one another, forgetting about everything else to exist only in the moment of the music.
The air in the room was heavy when Wrath of Wednesday took the stage, fronted by Ben Ross’18 on guitar and vocals, but that didn’t stop the band from playing a deafening rock set that only seemed to feed the already raving crowd.
Friends cheered for every band, not just the high schoolers in bands that they knew previously. When Ross declared that they’d be playing a cover of Blink-182’s “Going Away To College,” the crowd’s excitement was overwhelming.
New Youth, a party-rock band, played the third set, and although the show was already long and sweaty, fans didn’t seem to lose any momentum. Teenagers bounced around the mosh pit, crashing into one another and falling on top of each other.
The night began to feel surreal near the close of New Youth’s performance; it was one of those shows where you can feel the adrenaline buzzing through your veins and where half of the sweat that drenches your clothes isn’t your own.
The District Lightbulbs closed out the night, once again, with Ross’18 playing guitar. Their set was over an hour long, complete with rock covers of “Jingle Bells” and “Stacy’s Mom” as well as a brief interlude that included the band singing “Happy Birthday” to a friend.
Walking out of The Basement and into the cool winter air, I felt an end-of-show loss almost instantly. My ears buzzed from the deafening speakers and my skin tingled from the thrill of watching my friends put on an invigorating performance.
If you couldn’t make it to this show, don’t worry. The District Lightbulbs will be performing on Saturday, January 20 at the Donato’s Basement on North High Street. Tickets are $5 in advance and $10 at the door. Music begins at 9 pm.
