If Friday night was any indication of what’s in store for this year’s concert lineup, then Binghamton University students have a lot to look forward to. The fall semester kicked off a with a concert by the band MisterWives as a part of the Shindig at the Fountain event hosted by Campus Activities.
Opening for MisterWives was Cincinnati-based indie-pop trio Public. With high-energy songs like “Pretty Face,” Public pumped up the crowd with their music and impressive energy. Even the band’s drummer could be seen dancing to the beat along with his bandmates and the crowd.
MisterWives impressed with an eclectic mix of songs, welcoming students to campus with a upbeat sound. Opening with their album’s title track, “Our Own House,” it was clear that the audience was in for an exciting night. Despite having less hype than other BU concerts, MisterWives’ performance had all of the qualities of a great Spring Fling concert. And whether you were familiar with MisterWives’ music or not, it was impossible to not feed off of their genuine positive energy. Lead vocalist Mandy Lee has an impressive voice, and the band made a strong effort to show off all they had to a receptive crowd.
“I thought it was really good,” said Erin Livingston, an undeclared freshman. “She [Mandy Lee] had really good stage presence … it was different from a lot of concerts I’ve been to in that there was a lot of horns and other types of instruments and sounds.”
Besides Lee’s distinctive voice, MisterWives set themselves apart with their impressive brass section. With only six members on stage, the band delivered a powerful and resonating performance. At one point, the trumpeter and vocalist duked it out to see if they could match each others notes. The bass player attempted doing a flip. We found out that Lee can play the drums.
Lee also impressed the crowd with her openness about gender roles.
“Do you ever feel that society’s standards for women and for men are complete and utter bullshit,” said Lee while doing push-ups on the stage, before introducing their empowering song “Not Your Way.”
The band also did some covers in addition to original songs from their debut album, including Cyndi Lauper’s “Girl’s Just Want To Have Fun.” As their set came to a close, they hit a home run with their exciting rendition of crowd-pleaser “Uptown Funk.”
“I loved their energetic vibe and presence,” said Melissa Chalson, a senior double-majoring in English and human development. ”They are so cool without even trying and their music goes along with that.”