at Library Palooza
By Mike Lauterborn
(for Fairfield Citizen News)
2/4/12
Fairfield, CT – Local teen bands turned up the volume Saturday night in one of the more unlikely of places – Fairfield Public Library.
Dubbed “Library Palooza”, the event featured three young bands and a deejay, set up in different areas of the Post Road facility, drawing dozens of fellow teens, fans and parents. Performances were staggered over a two-hour period, to allow spectators to rotate around and hear each gig.
“We developed this as a way to bring a younger audience here and give them an outlet for expression,” said Cindy Barich, Children’s Librarian. Barich’s colleague, Teen Librarian Nicole Scherer, initiated the concept.
The featured bands were Disable Time, Take Zero and Monolith Man, all Fairfield-based, while DJ Daysix manned turntables and led off the program. Daysix has been DJ’ing for three years and producing for four, and has hosted many large parties and even a mini festival at UConn Storrs. He was set up in the library’s New Books / Large Type Books alcove on the main level, and drew a visual bead with a revolving disco globe.
Disable Time, featuring Kevin O’Brien on guitar, Bryan Garbe on drums and Tommy Greenwood on bass guitar followed, vibrating the DVDs and tapes stacked in the Audio/Visual area. About 40 people gathered around them, bopping their heads, tapping their feet and breaking into applause.
“We’ve been playing for four months,” said O’Brien. “Our style is rock, influenced by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tool and Led Zeppelin. It’s funny to rock out in the library – it’s usually the quietest place in town. A lot of our fans are in college, so we hope to make some new friends here.”
O’Brien’s mom, Pam, was in the audience and was thrilled for the group. “This is a fantastic opportunity and neat that the library approached the boys,” she said. “I started Kevin with a guitar/amp package from BJs. He’s come a long way since then.”
A friend of the band, Zhian Saeed, 20, from Bridgeport, thought the site was a great environment for teenagers and “a way to stay out of trouble on a Saturday night.”
Take Zero held the evening’s third slot, with 16-year-old Richard Granger at lead, backed by Michael Orent and Julian Walker on guitars, Charlie LoPresti on bass and Josh Reedy on drums. They performed in the Periodicals room. “The quality of our music and the ambition we have to put on an entertaining show are very important to us,” said Granger.
Monolith Man, comprised of Ben Graney Green and Grayson Jeffries, put an exclamation point on the show. “We’re influenced by Black Sabbath, Earth and Krass,” said Jeffries. “We espouse humanist values by way of honest lyrics. This is our first show. It’s such a close space, we can all connect.”
Green’s mom, Maureen, was also on hand. “They’ve been practicing and writing music for a year,” she said. “This is an opportunity for them to make their debut and win some fans.”
As the groups played, a listener exclaimed, “I don’t think it’s ever been this loud in the library before!”
A larger follow-up performance is planned for July according to Scherer.
No comments:
Post a Comment