WQAQ presented its first fall concert at The Space in Hamden on Thursday, Nov. 9. The show featured Quinnipiac’s own local talent, Feldspar and The Stone Quarries, as well as Francine, from Worcester, Mass., and So Many Dynamos, who hail from St. Louis, Mo. Though for some shows a small turnout is a death sentence, it was clear that everyone who did make it out to The Space wanted to be there. It made for an intimate gathering, and a great time was had by the bands and fans.
Opening the show was the acoustic singer/songwriter act Feldspar, which consists of Quinnipiac sophomore Matt Cappiello. One of Cappiello’s favorite bands is the quirky, intellectual band, They Might Be Giants, and their influence on him is evident in songs such as “Bob Hope Flew the Coop,” “Coffee” (an ode to his favorite drink), a love song about two monsters, and a story about escaping from an island ridden with robots. Feldspar also played songs with a little more heart to them, like “Ashes to Ashley,” “The Pawnbroker’s Stepdaughter,” and “Things to Do in New York.”
Francine played next and their progressive, riff-driven, pop-punk sound with falsetto vocals was well received by the crowd (some of which were singing along). Highlight songs of the set were “The Grande Auction” and “The Cure for the Co.” off their album, “The Overcomplication of a Simple Situation.” Francine has played with other acts such as The Number 12 Looks Like You, As Tall As Lions, Men Women & Children, Kevin Devine and Boys Like Girls, and can be listened to at www.myspace.com/francine
So Many Dynamos came to the stage afterwards and their synth-laden, indie rock noise-with-a-purpose turned The Space into one giant dance party. They mostly played songs off their sophomore album, “Flashlight,” including tracks like “Search Party,” “Progress” (both of which were crowd favorites), “We Vibrate, We Do,” and “Let’s Move Mountains.” The boys had never played a show in Connecticut before, but the positive response they received made them excited to come back again soon.
“It was really fun,” said guitarist/vocalist Ryan Wasoba.
Norm Kunstel, the drummer, agreed. “Between the people we’ve met, the crowd and the cute little boutique upstairs [at The Space], we had a blast.”
“Flashlight” can be bought at www.scrockirecords.com.
Closing the show was Quinnipiac favorites, The Stone Quarries. The band consists of junior Mike Castro on vocals and guitar, sophomore Matthew DeMello on vocals and piano, senior Bill Antonucci playing bass, junior John Sieg playing guitar sophomore Christopher Campoli on drums. The Quarries’ all-American, piano-infused, rock n’ roll sound was enjoyable to the head-bobbing, occasionally dancing crowd. The poppy tune, “She’s My Baby” was a favorite, and showcased the similarities between The Quarries and Bruce Springsteen.
Upcoming gigs for the guys include Montage’s I Heart Art festival on Nov. 30, an appearance at Caf