Amazing lights, great music and a first warm weekend well spent was the general consensus about the recent Slow Pulp concert hosted by ViCE (Vassar College Entertainment). On Saturday, April 18, it was finally nice enough to spend the day outside. Students gathered to watch Slow Pulp’s performance on Noyes Circle for the ViCE Spring Concert. Graycie Peltz ’29 shared, “I really like Slow Pulp, so it was so great to see them in concert and hang out with my friends. Also, the lighting was really cool.”
Slow Pulp’s four members, Emily Massey (lead vocals), Alex Leeds (bass and vocals), Teddy Matthews (drums) and Henry Stoeher (guitar)—along with touring member Javiar Reyes (guitar and keyboard)—performed against a display of colorful lights that were projected on the white tent background and occasionally morphed into an image of a flower or swirling dots of color. A memorable point of the concert was Massey’s short hiatus from singing to demonstrate her skills on the harmonica during the song “Broadview.”
Amy Melchior ’29 was struck by this part of the production: “I loved the harmonica; the lead singer is so talented. I also loved the wide array of music types, some slow, some fast. There were a lot of emotions in the performance.”
These emotions were reflected in a wave of cheers throughout the crowd when they began to play one of the groups’ most popular songs, “Falling Apart.” Kayla McGovern ’29 reflected on the concert, noting that this was one of the songs she was more familiar with. “Honestly, I don’t know the band very well but when they announced that they were gonna play “Falling Apart,” their biggest song, you could really feel the excitement in the crowd.” During the chorus, Massey directed the microphone at the audience, letting the crowd take the wheel and sing the lyrics.
Some students participated if they knew the words, others were still moved by the energy of the song despite not being well versed with the lyrics. Sophie Tran ’28 described the experience of only being somewhat knowledgeable of their discography: “Even though I didn’t know most of the lyrics, it was really fun how a lot of students knew them and sang along. I loved the more relaxed energy from both the crowd and the band.” She also mentioned that along with the relaxing energy, she knew a few songs to look forward to in the performance and has since added more to her usual playlist. “I only knew two of their songs, “Falling Apart”, and “Idaho” before the concert but hearing the band live made me want to listen to more of their stuff.” Like Tran, many walked away from the performance that night as newly converted fans of the group.
For some, it was not their first ViCE event. Vera Bronshvag ’29 attended the Blue Hawaii “Welcome Back” concert in the fall. “I was really excited for the concert because of the one from the fall. I liked Slow Pulp before the concert, but now I love them even more. It’s such a different experience to see them live, especially on campus. I’ve always really liked the song “At Home”. I also knew the words to that one, and it has such a nice melody.” This song also stood out to me from my own experience at the show. It was emotional, and slightly nostalgic.
While the emotions swung in different directions, the light and springy energy remained steady—appropriate for the tone of the ViCE event. Lucy O’Brien ’29 described the event as a great opportunity to spend time with her friends and enjoy some of her favorite music. “I thought it was so much fun; they sounded just as good as in the recordings. It was just the best feeling to be with all my friends and hearing music we all love. And to be at Vassar,” O’Brien said.
Along with those that loved the energy of the crowd and spending time among friends, there was also plenty of appreciation for the group’s talent—particularly the lead singer. Eva D’Addario ’28 reflected on Massey’s talent, as well as the aptness of the “chill” and “indie” band for Vassar’s spring concert. “It was cool when she brought out the harmonica on top of also playing the guitar. I felt like the crowd had a good vibe; it seemed like people were enjoying it. But I thought they put on a very good performance. It was a good pick for the spring concert. I love going to concerts and seeing bands live, so it was very fun,” she said.
As the night went on and the sun set, it remained warm outside. Some Brewers held their phones above the crowd to capture snapshots of the performance. It felt as though the mellow vibe of the band was launching the campus into the incoming warm weather—a new era of the semester. D’Addario agreed with this sentiment, even if some students had imagined a different atmosphere for the night. “It wasn’t as hype as some people wanted it to be, but I thought it was perfect for Vassar’s spring concert,” she commented.
Not everyone was familiar with the group before the concert, but their music has certainly converted attendees into listeners after the show. Annie McShane ’28 [Disclaimer: McShane is the Graphics Editor for The Miscellany News] is a newly minted fan of their music after the concert, sharing, “Slow Pulp sounded so great live! I’m only a little familiar with their music, but I will definitely be listening more after that awesome performance!”
Others were already big fans of the group before the show, adding an element of extra excitement to their performance. Hannah Straub ’28 is a veteran of Slow Pulp concerts with this spring show marking her second time seeing them live.
“Slow Pulp is a band whose sound is so authentic, and it really comes through in their live performances. It was the second time I saw them and hopefully not the last!” Straub shared.
The general sentiment was that it was a lovely evening and that Slow Pulp delivered an incredible show for the ViCE event. Many described it as a wonderful opportunity to be together with the rest of campus. Everyone was there for the same thing, in the same place, to enjoy something together.