On Friday September 24th, State Radio played in Plymouth as a kick off to homecoming weekend. The band consists of three members, Chad Urmston, Chuck Fay and Mike Najarian. Urmston was also lead singer of the Vermont based (now disbanded) band Dispatch. State Radio is an Alternative rock, Reggae tinged band from the Massachusetts area who have released several albums, including Us against the Crown, Let IT GO, The Barn Sessions and Live at The Brattle Theatre. Their songs in general set a peaceful atmosphere, but when preformed in concert they are lively, upbeat and tend to work the crowd. The lyrics to a good majority of the songs they write are socially conscious and cover issues such as war, suicide, and love . They have previously performed at Higher Ground in Burlington and Mr. Smalls Theatre in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania before coming to Plymouth State University.
The key to having a good show is the introduction, and what better way to start off the night then with some of Plymouth States’ very own. Opening for State Radio Last Friday night was the local band, Histerica. The members of the band are Reana Michaud, Tim Paulding, Steve Lanciani and Séan-Michael Dunphy. They play rock, screamo and alternative style music. The band has a respectable sized fan base and often perform on campus. They played a few original songs to start off, and for one of their final songs, they performed a quality cover of “Ignorance” by Paramore. They performed well and interacted with the audience, looked comfortable on stage, and put on a great show. The crowd seemed to have a very positive response to Histerica’s performance. Two of the band members are current Plymouth State students, and Dunphy is an alumnus. It is nice to see a local band of peers open for such a well-known group of musicians.
After an openening performance by Histerica, State Radio put on about a 90 minute set including the songs, “Camillo” and “Right Me Up.” The performance was memorable and captivating. The gymnasium was about half full of eager listeners who were dancing and singing along with minimal amounts of crowd surfing. The location of the venue allowed for an intimate performance, feeling as though you are right there next to the band. They are a friendly group of gentlemen who dedicated songs to girlfriends of the band members and cousins in the crowd and even going as far to have a young girl dance on stage. The quality of the music itself was well polished and pleasing to listen to. Right near the middle of the show, Mike Najarian (drums) broke out in an intense solo. They may not have sold out, but they put on an excellent show for the decently sized crowed well worth the money.