Binghamton Underground Music Presents (BUMP) hosted its November show on Friday featuring Big Thief and Frankie Cosmos.
Big Thief and Frankie Cosmos have been on tour together since August, but Binghamton University was one of the few university stops on their path. Frankie Cosmos recorded their latest album in Johnson City.
Frankie Cosmos is a name gaining traction in the indie, rock and alternative scenes, and was featured in Spin Magazine and on Pitchfork Media Inc.’s website. However, Greta Kline, the band’s lead singer, was adamant that they are nowhere near “famous” in her mind and that they don’t deal with the problem of being recognized. The band stills plays at shows where the audience does not know them. Frankie Cosmos’ sound is similar to artists such as Eskimeaux and Mitski, both of whom have also performed as part of BUMP shows in the past.
Sidney Ogunsekan, the chairman of BUMP, is responsible for booking the gigs. Ogunsekan said he believes this show was representative of what BUMP aspires to do and be.
“We try to get artists that are underground but kind of rising a little, so Frankie Cosmos was the optimal choice,” said Oguneskan, a senior majoring in business administration. “It’s just really awesome to get a band I’ve been so in love with and get them here myself. A year ago if you asked me if I’d be doing this I’d have had no idea.”
During the concert, Kline created an open and intimate experience with the audience. She touched on her fear of vulnerability and compared feelings of performance anxiety to the range of emotions one can feel when raising their hand to speak in class, hoping that they can articulate their thoughts well.
“I have no problem with being relatable, being a human makes me relatable,” said Kline. “I think people are surprised with how relatable they find me.”
This feature of hers is a strong reason for people’s attraction to her. Mikaela Itkin-Weinstein, an undeclared sophomore, shared her experience with becoming exposed to the band.
“My sister originally downloaded the [Frankie Cosmos] discography and since [then] we listen to it constantly,” Itkin-Weinstein said. “[Kline is] very inspiring as a musician because it’s like, ‘Oh, I can do that too.’”
The opening act, Big Thief, had a sound that featured a lot of bass and interesting vocals. The Brooklyn-based, indie-rock band performed a raw and vocally driven set. The guitarist displayed antics and sporadic dancing, which was somewhat of a distraction from the garage-band punk sound of the performance. Gabriel Steinberg, a freshman majoring in computer science, enjoyed their set.
“I liked [Big Thief] more, it was more of a jam band,” Steinberg said. “[They] might not be as good in the studio because they have so much energy.”
At the end of a tumultuous week, David Zatyko, a senior double-majoring in English and political science, felt that the music served as a chance for people to escape.
“Right now we have to connect with music and art and things and use that as an outlet and remind ourselves that we can’t be sitting in our misery and this is a healthy part of living and healing,” said Zatyko.