“A Space for the Freaks”: Pile/Palehound/Therm/Shore Acres Drive/Teencat at the Haunt

Ithaca Underground has long been lauded as one of the few music and art collectives in Ithaca that truly keep their ears to the ground and deliver the locals exactly what they want to hear. With that being said, last night’s concert was a dream come true for those who love to let the music visibly shake them up and down, those who feel not fear but exhilaration from the prospect of a mosh pit and those who like to keep their face down and, as Jimi Hendrix famously put it, “wave their freak flag high.”

Last night’s show was kicked off by Ithaca cat-pop group Teencat, whose energetic basslines and straightforward, if dark, riffs were topped off by the optimistic lyrics and strong lead vocal performance delivered by Kari Aldrich. They were followed by local favorite Shore Acres Drive, a three person-collective that blends emo, punk and post-hardcore and first debuted their music at the Ithaca Underground stage of the 2014 Ithaca Festival. Shore Acres Drive consists of Cornell students Charlie Fraioli on guitar and vocals, Jake Burchard on the drums and Ithaca College student James Manton on bass. Shore Acres Drive started as a solo acoustic project, with their music written exclusively by front man Charlie.

Guerilla Toss, Therm, Eagle Daddy, What Nerve Slay at Cayuga Lodge

On Thursday, Cornell’s Fanclub Collective organized yet another fantastic line-up for a sweet night of trippy light shows and punk and noise music at Cayuga Lodge. Up first was Nicki Duval of What Nerve. Unfortunately, I could only listen from several stories up in the building as I was hurriedly finishing school work so I could head to the show. Luckily, their glitchy dance-noise beats shook the whole house. I only heard positive things about the performance.