Loft Brings Back 18+ Shows

By Stephanie Breijo

New faces and ears at Mary Wash might not recognize the recent UMW grads of indie-pop outfit Tereu Tereu, but bringing fun and new music to the Fredericksburg community is what The Loft’s 18+ Thursdays are all about.
With a trumpet, a keyboard, a drum kit, clanging guitars and a penchant for helping the community, Tereu Tereu and its band member,  Adam Bray, have helped expand the Fredericksburg music scene through collaborating with The Loft and Third Floor Studios.
“We’re just trying to start off the school year getting people excited about live music downtown and getting students off campus to hear and experience some bands that are from and touring in Fredericksburg,” Bray said.
Those who remember Tereu Tereu from semesters past also get the added bonuses of new music; the fabulous five of Richmond’s Prabir and the Substitutes add Elvis Costello-like spunk and happy Beatles-esque harmony, while North Carolina trio The Never brings its dancey, tormented  tunes to Fredericksburg for the first time.
Started on the last Thursday of January 2008, the 18+ shows became the monthly compromise for student-friendly events when The Loft solved its underage drinking problem by closing the venue off to the under-21 crowd.
Over the summer, audience members have been scarce at the 18+ nights, said Bray, though he also added that the last three shows of the semester had been close to selling out, and thinks the trend will continue this year.
Hoping to further involve the UMW community, Bray wants to include student bands in upcoming Loft lineups.
“We’re gonna start off by making a splash and by trying to include some new Mary Wash bands,” Bray said. “It’d be a great experience for them and I don’t want Tereu Tereu to play every single show. It’ll be neat to expose someone new, that way they can have a new crowd to play for.”
There will only be three 18+ Loft nights this semester due to Thanksgiving and Christmas falling on the last Thursdays of both November and December. There are also plans for a potential reggae night in September. If you’re new in town or happen to be a UMW vet returning to the academic trenches, bring your dancin’ shoes to 1005 Princess Anne St. this Thursday.