Burnham and Spaulding Steal Show at Underground

By MADELINE MCDONALD

You guys are missing out. Seriously. The Underground featured an amazing, spectacular, tremendously wonderful set of musical performances last Friday, and sadly only a handful of students were there to witness it.

The first group to perform were two of Mary Washington’s own talented musicians, Will Spaulding and Eric Burnham, a bluegrass duo who have dubbed themselves the Musty Mountain Plank Stompers.

Their performance featured not only an acoustic guitar but an upright bass that they passed back and forth, as well as a harmonica and a mandolin.

That’s right: a mandolin. Where are you ever going to see a real mandolin on campus? The Underground, that’s where. And a lot of you missed out.

The Musty Mountain Plank Stompers had great harmony and connection as a duo but also shone on their own through solos and some intense finger work on their stringed instruments.

They were really having fun performing on stage and creating awesome music together. They performed several covers, the most memorable of which was the Grateful Dead’s “Friend of the Devil.”

They played it at a slower tempo than it’s usually performed, giving the song a really sweet, sorrowful feel that lingered in my head long after the night was over.

They also treated the audience to a few of their original songs, including a truly remarkable song where Burnham crooned about his love for a Peruvian chicken he lost to the dinner table.

His mournful clucking solo had the audience in tears of laughter as well as his mock offense that anyone would dare to laugh at the story of his lost chicken love.

Following the Musty Mountain Plank Stompers was the main event, the indie rock band East Hundred from Philadelphia.

According to their lead vocalist, Beril Gucerie, their band came together through mutual friendship, something clearly evident on-stage.
All night they were smiling as they played their songs, clearly having a good time doing what they love to do.

Though their sound tended to drown out the lyrics sung by their lead vocalist, it was a sound I’m sure I will not easily forget. Their mournful, haunting rhythms floated through the Underground, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand straight up.

Their songs also featured several exciting synth sounds I haven’t heard elsewhere, which made the experience a truly unique one.

And you all missed it. You missed out on the hilarious chicken love ballad, and you missed out on letting East Hundred send chills down your spine.
Where were you guys? Doing homework? It was a Friday night!

I promise your professors wouldn’t mind if you had taken a break and gotten blown away by some amazing music.

So take a peek at “Bullet Points” and the OSACS “Weekly News” email and see what’s up for this week and then go see something. I doubt you’ll regret it.