As the sun set and a pinkish glow illumined the sky behind the chapel, doors opened to Friday’s fall concert featuring the bands Vundabar and LAUNDRY DAY, hosted jointly by the Middlebury College Activities Board (MCAB) and the college’s student-run radio station, WRMC. At 7:30 p.m., students poured onto the McCullough lawn, covering the grass as the openers, LAUNDRY DAY, took the stage.
The New York-based quartet started their band while attending the same high school, choosing the name LAUNDRY DAY for their thrown-together, mismatched fashion sense. In fact, much of their presence has a DIY feel, most notably their satirical, cheesy boy-band-esque acapella covers filmed walking down New York City streets. However, don’t let their nonchalance fool you; LAUNDRY DAY has built an impressive resume since their fledgling high school days, playing at the music festival and carnival Camp Flog Gnaw in 2019, and opening for big names such as Clairo, the 1975, and Ed Sheeran. Unsurprisingly, their performance on Friday did not disappoint.
The band opened with “Why is Everyone a DJ?” an anthemic track with crashing drums and ample swagger. This was followed by the fast-paced track “Dysmorphia” which asks the listener to “Imagine if you couldn’t see yourself in the mirror?”. Guitarist Henry Weingartner shone in this song, creating an energetic melody beforing peeling off into a solo. “Harvard” was next, a pop rock song that garnered cheers as the lyric “Harvard” was replaced with “Middlebury” throughout the performance. Then it was lead singer Jude Ciulla-Lipkin’s turn to shine with “Crazy Stupid Love”, showcasing his lively stage presence as he danced with his band and started a call and response chant with the crowd. “Girl from Lingeria” was a lighter track reminiscent of classic boy band music, while “We Moved On” was soulful and featured a solo by bassist Henry Pearl. One of the highlights of the night, however, was the song “Jane,” where drummer Sawyer Nunes took center stage to sing a stripped back love song written when the band was in high school. The final two songs included the band’s most popular track “FRIENDS” which is retrospective and warm, and had the whole crowd singing along. To close their set, LAUNDRY DAY played an unreleased song called “Life of the Party”.
Following LAUNDRY DAY’s energetic performance, Vundabar took the stage, clad in button up shirts and cast in blue light. Just like their openers, Vundabar formed when the members were still in high school. The band would drive from their hometown of Scituate, Mass. to venues in Boston, eager to take part in the city’s music scene, but it was not until their single “Alien Blues” went viral that the band saw more mainstream success. Described by Audiotree as having a “rambunctious, garage and post-punk” sound, Vundabar’s set on Friday was filled with energy and rich instrumentation. Standout songs included the band’s most popular song “Alien Blues” which featured falsetto vocals interspersed with dark chugging guitar and the track “Oulala” which highlighted alternating staccato and drawn-out riffs. Many of Vundabar’s songs contained multiple segments, quickening in pace then slowing down for a false-end before an energetic final conclusion After the most frenetic outro of the night, Vundabar said their goodbyes and left to prepare for their upcoming nation-wide tour this fall.
Though both artists occupy different niches, one jocular and intentionally rough around the edges and the other unapologetically adherent to a sound all their own, their shared energy and talent came through on Friday for an unforgettable pair of performances.
