BY: CONOR AMENDOLA, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Photo courtesy of Conor Amendola
There is something electric when a band comes together and performs live. It feels like magic that engages the crowd and connects everyone in attendance through a shared source of enjoyment. The St. Bonaventure University community was just shown this magic thanks to The Necessities, who performed in The Rathskeller, the on-campus bar, on Jan. 20. The Campus Activities Board hosted the performance.
The Necessities were a powerhouse altogether. Each member seemed to be in line with each other, and the band had a rare chemistry among smaller bands. The band had a good time performing, which made the show flow nicely.
The crowd seemed relaxed during the first song, “Intro”, which gave me the impression that the first band night in a while might be short and slow. However, the second song saw lead vocalist Austin Connors whip the crowd into standing directly in front of the stage and, quite literally, “Come a Little Closer” as the band covered the Cage The Elephant jam. The song was made complete thanks to impressive bass skills from Nick Sheppard, who expertly performed the song’s simple yet catchy bassline.
The crowd’s energy made the performance feel like I was watching a much bigger band, not a small college band.
The performance was fun, which is a struggle many large bands have due to their fans waiting for the songs that get frequent radio airtime, which causes the other songs to have less impact on the crowd. The Necessities kept the show entertaining and kept the crowd engaged with anecdotes and humor in between songs. This was made easier as the crowd, comprised of Bonaventure students of all years, was energetic and excited to watch the performance.
Every song from the band’s first EP, “Drive,” was represented. Ryan “Scooter” Forsythe’s drumming was showcased especially on “Drive,” the titular song of the EP, with his cymbal work bringing an impact to the live performance that is not felt on the EP recording. Scooter also performed a solo during the set break, thanks to the crowd cheering him into it. However, the covers the band performed were done well and with great respect to the originals.
The band’s cover of “Covet” by Basement brought a harder sound, which the band’s originals seemed to be close in sound to, to the show that was appreciated by the audience.
The encore performance of “Everlong” by Foo Fighters showcased lead guitarist Stephan Bovanzier’s impressive guitar skills and the band’s synchronization.
The highlight of the evening, however, was a solo performance by Connors, which served as a second encore. The unreleased song, “To a lost soul,” was performed in tribute to his recently passed grandfather. Connors’s solo performance felt mythical as the crowd pulled out their phones to turn their flashlights on. Connors’s tone and facial expressions made me connect with the lyrics as he sang about spending your life with the people you care about and not wasting your time on the planet.
The Necessities brought the house down with an amazing performance that will have the whole campus buzzing for a while. Hopefully, this isn’t the last time Bonaventure sees a student band rock out in The Rathskeller
amendocj22@bonaventure.edu
