It's the day before Easter and the Hampshire College dining hall is filling quickly. People from all over the Pioneer Valley are coming to see the three bands scheduled by VIBE, a Hampshire-based student-run group dedicated to bringing live music to the campus. The evening features performances from Orafist, Beverly Tender, and the header Mannequin Pussy, and the audience ranges from the pierced to the patched, from the swayers to the screamers.
The first band to go up is Orafist, a Worcester-based heavy rock-and-roll band. Members include Becca Kranz on vocals, Devon Bonadonna on vocals, guitar, and piano, Emma Sprague on vocals, Nick Charney on drums, Tori Sargent on vocals and bass, and Cailley Cullotta on viola. Their set had a variety of music, all written by the members of the band except for the passionate finale: a cover of Miley Cyrus' 7 Things I Hate About You. Their music is available on bandcamp, and you can follow them for news and updates on Facebook.
Following Orafist was Beverly Tender, a self-described "dog-rock" band based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The two main band members are Molly and Tristan, and their music is recorded and mixed by Liam O'Hanlon. From turtle-necks to sparkling guitar stickers screaming "DANG" and "SMH," Beverly Tender performed well and with obvious chemistry. You can follow them on Facebook for news and updates.
The final band and headliner was Mannequin Pussy, a fast-paced punk band from Philadelphia. The main singer, short yet an impressively commanding presence, sang ballads into screams and screams into ballads. The members of Mannequin Pussy are Missy, Kaleen, Thanasi, and Bear. Their music can be found on Bandcamp as well as Spotify, and you can follow their tour schedules on Facebook.