Musical horizons are expanded, if not improved

Author: Kelsey Smith

You know that option when you create a Facebook invite that says you are promising a "night of mayhem?" Well it was promised and wholly delivered Saturday night at the Gamut Room, which played host to Fat Worm of Error - a costume-wearing, pandemonium-causing noise-rock group from Western Massachusetts.

The evening started in a seemingly normal way, with excited attendees waiting around the Gamut Room for Thompson and Co. to arrive with the necessary equipment - passing the time with some Annie's Mac & Cheese and some guilty pleasure '90s music on the stereo. Then a Fat Worm of Error walked in, a mild-mannered man in a colorful shirt with a reddish handlebar mustache, and asked where he might park his van. We offered a "how-to" for finding parking at Middlebury, and ten minutes later, met him and his band mates outside to start unloading their equipment. Usually loading in a band involves carrying instruments and heavy suitcases full of electrical equipment. Fat Worm of Error had equipment, but every other trip was dedicated to carrying costumes.

The student band Pluto, led by Thompson Davis '08.5 with Paxson Woelber '07.5, Chris Rominger '08 and Nick Barone '08, kicked off the evening with their particular brand of indie-ish rock that does not take itself too seriously. Davis does not write lyrics down, a fact that he expressed some reservations about, though I find it to be one of the best parts of their music. The delivery of the lines that popped into Davis' head were reminiscent of John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats. Subject matter ranged from a play on the phrase "Study Abroad" (use your imagination) to the quickly gentrifying corners of Brooklyn.

After Pluto's set, Fat Worm of Error set up - a process which included putting bean bag chairs over the fake rocks as to avoid any injury that might result from their thrashing about. Then they started. I almost did not notice the point when Fat Worm of Error went from plugging stuff in and messing around with equipment to actually starting their performance. I have not experienced any noise rock since I attended a concert by a group called Casio Kids on a pretend pirate boat last year in Paris.

Fat Worm of Error describes their music as "self-produced, high density calisthenics," and their live shows as "spasmodic, costumed rituals." I would generally agree.

It is difficult to explain noise rock, even though it really is exactly what the name implies: a bunch of sounds, from actual instruments to incessant beeping effects, combined to make noise. In the case of Fat Worm of Error it was accompanied by a type of free-association speaking/yelling/rambling performed by one of the band members and a whole lot of costumes for what was a 30-minute set. The result moved most people to laughter, mostly out of discomfort, but one also got the feeling that it was okay to laugh. The band members acknowledged a certain degree of ridiculousness in what they were doing.

Fat Worm of Error would not (and did not) appeal to a wide variety of people at Middlebury but such events suggest some semblance of an alternative music scene on campus. Despite the fact that the event was not well attended it was rewarding to see that the people who did show up were enjoying themselves and that the show even managed to attract some passersby who were drawn in when they saw the eight foot tall chicken costume through the glass doors of the Gamut Room.

This difficult task of providing another option to the majority is a mission that WRMC has devoted itself to. Every concert that comes to Middlebury does not have to be an event that will cost the college upwards of $30,000. Events such as the one hosted by WRMC Friday night are the perfect vehicle, and the Gamut Room the perfect location, for bringing new music to Middlebury. The only more perfect location for such get-togethers is Coltrane but I suppose it would be better if the floor of the building didn't collapse while we're all watching crazy people make noise in costumes.