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Fronted by Jacob Eli Goldman (center), Aeroplane, 1929 plays at the Hillel Foundation last night. In concert with Quiet Life, Luke Temple and Via Audio, the band was a strong draw for WHUS' Indie Rock Showcase.

Indie Music Scene Is Alive, Well At Hillel

By: Tom Crosby

Posted: 4/10/08

If you were going on a hipster hunt last night and didn't look to Hillel at UConn, you should probably just give up now.

Drawing a diverse crowd, the Indie Rock Showcase, organized by WHUS, hosted four local, up-and-coming indie bands in a fantastic, free, door-busting show.

Opening with Quiet Life, the show kicked off with the energetic quartet playing to what seemed to be a devoted base of fans. The night was off to auspicious beginnings as wide-eyed kids jumped and shouted Quiet Life's pensive-yet-fiery lyrics.

Meg Misset, a 6th-semester nutrition major, said that Quiet Life made her "want to dance around everywhere."

The band, who played several new tracks off of their 2008 release entitled "Act Natural," was a welcome blend of indie, alt-rock, and, surprisingly, a rustic, "honky-tonk" sound that was achieved by lead singer Sean Spellman's intermittent harmonica riffs.

After a short intermission, Aeroplane, 1929 came on to uproarious applause.

Lead singer Jacob Eli Goldman was easily the most charismatic of the night's performers, quipping, "You guys ready for some music? Alright, this is a Jewish center, go somewhere else."

After clearing it up with the audience that his own Jewish heritage gave him permission to be flippant, Goldman and Aeroplane gave an impressive performance of what is otherwise a subpar studio collection.

"I've seen them before," said Liz Larkin, a 2nd-semester Middle Eastern studies major, "and their stuff is a lot better in concert. They're just one of those great live bands."

Playing such hits as "The Holy Ghost" and "Tied Down Giants," Aeroplane 1929 more or less stole the show.

Following another intermission, Luke Temple took the stage. Temple, who is not so much "Luke Temple" as "Luke Temple and friends," was both a musical and facial hybrid of Coldplay's Chris Martin and Radiohead's Thom Yorke.

Temple, whose riffs seem to be swiped from the arpeggiated chords that have made Radiohead famous, seemed to hold his art in extremely high regard. After chastising the audience for leaving after Aeroplane's set, Temple insisted that "the beginning of [my set] is the best part."

The mediocre-at-best display that followed was full of his recycled brand of weeping falsetto and inaudible guitar parts that felt empty and unsatisfying.

Larkin, who stayed for Temple's set, asked, dismayed, "Did this guy lose a bet or something? He just seemed so resentful to be here."

However, those who were lucky enough to stay for Via Audio's set were in for a treat. The band, who splits their time between Boston and New York, played a diverse set, hovering between the old and the new.

The band's unique, dreamy riffs reminded the crowd what indie music is all about - crossing boundaries into unfamiliar territories where imagination is king.

A most unique sound influenced by such acts as Spoon and the Zombies, the only drawback to Via Audio's set was that too many patrons left before getting a chance to hear their feel-good vibe.

All in all, Hillel had a surprisingly large turnout. It might be argued that UConn organizations are out of touch with hip, arty youth culture, but WHUS put together what turned out to be a great show.

Following last night's show, there is no doubt that the indie scene has the type of support at UConn that could spell a revival in the underground music scene.

Be on the lookout for these bands and other indie acts, because, hey, free concert.

Contact Tom Crosby at

Tom.Crosby@UConn.edu.