Student Bands Create Mayhem on Quiet Campus

On a campus where a cappella and pre-20th century classical are the musics of choice and where cutting edge rock to too many undergraduates is synonymous with Squeeze, it is a pleasant surprise to see two solid student rock groups who can create some carnage on a Saturday night.

Goatboy, the evening's headliners, played a pounding set of original songs and covers to a packed Dunster House Junior Common Room. Although the group seemed a little restrained at first, they soon let go with a barrage of fast guitar-driven rock.

The group effectively combined different musical styles. The lead guitarist Ross Markonish's solos and Yosef Siegal's drumming had a classic rock feel. But the guitar chord progressions, Leif Simonson's basslines and Arik Grier's vocals definitely had a more alternative flavor. They would be probably be as comfortable playing Led Zeppelin as Sonic Youth, whose "Kool Sing" Goatboy covered effectively.

Opening up for Goatboy, Gary Powell, a fearsome five-member band, played a loose, raw set. At various points in the concert, members of the audience threw marshmellows and moshed uninhibitedly. Some even attempted to stage dive from a stage one step high--pathetic, but fun.

Gary Powell's performance came with a few perks for the audience. For one thing, lead singer Douglas "Pengo" DeMay stripped from a gray suit down to his boxers in the course of the set. Written on his manly torso were those immortal words of wisdom, "Listerine Kills Bad Breath." In addition, audience members got bags of popcorn with special "prizes" inside such as miniature chocolate bars and slips of paper with "Gary Powell Says Fuck!" scrawled on them.