As the birthplace of successful musical acts like Guster and Timeflies, Tufts has for years maintained a competitive and burgeoning music scene among its student body. In fact, the university draws musical students from all disciplines — as countless YouTube application supplement videos can attest to. With engineers who can shred any Jimi Hendrix lick to social justice advocates who share a love for Bob Dylan and slapping the bass, the current music scene on the Hill reflects a wide-array of backgrounds, styles and aspirations.
At Battle of the Bands, an annual event for serious on-campus music groups, Shark Saddle, Not So Gentlemen, Waldo and Thoroughfare and Telly, rocked the stage. Each band brings a unique flavor to Tufts' musical landscape. Indeed, for many of these groups — some of which were formed during orientation events or in residence halls — their identities are intimately tied to the Tufts experience. This connection is what makes these groups feel homegrown and universal. The Daily had the opportunity to sit down with a few of these bands and discuss who they are and what they hope for the future.
Not So Gentelmen
In the misty mountains of New Hampshire during Tufts Wilderness Orientation in 2012, sophomores Max Leonhardt and Avram Ellner bonded over their love of music. After heading back to the Hill for orientation, Leonhardt met talented drummer junior Henry Butler. Observing that Ellner and Butler had similar styles and were both eager for a new pal to jam with, Leonhardt decided to introduce the two musicians. Ironically, Leonhardt — who brought the band together and is now its bassist — didn't play an instrument in the early days of this trio's friendship.
"I didn't pick up a bass until Not So Gentlemen [formed]," Leonhardt said. "We started hanging out more, and I decided to go out and buy a bass guitar to join in on the fun."
Frequent hangouts transformed into informal jam sessions, which then moved to practice rooms in the Granoff Music Center and thus, Not So Gentlemen was formed. The band's style, however, is much more elusive than its history. Leonhardt, Ellner and Butler each have unique musical influences and intuitions. Though they do share a few favorites, including Jimi Hendrix and Parliament Funkadelic, the three band members have different preferences and musical heroes.
"Henry loves the Red Hot Chili Peppers and [funk in general]," Leonhardt said. "Avram is a straight up metal-head — he loves Metallica and Black Sabbath. I have a thing for the more psychedelic jams, but also Johnny Cash and, of course, [Dylan]."
This fusion has made for an interesting sound. Playing what the band has dubbed "blunken" — a fusion of blues and funk — Not So Gentlemen has a decidedly vintage and laid-back tone.
"We're just rocking and rolling with it," said Leonhardt. "We're having so much fun playing and jamming with other bands."
Not So Gentlemen, a relatively young band on campus, has garnered a fairly substantial following. Placing second at Battle of the Bands, Not So Gentlemen will be performing at the upcoming Tuftonia's Day. However, even with its success and growing fan base, the end of this year means an indefinite hiatus for the group, as Leonhardt will be taking a year off to pursue a teaching position in Wisconsin. Ellner and Butler plan to continue making music together and collaborate with Leonhardt remotely.
"We don't like to look ahead," said Leonhardt. "We love playing here. We want to play as many shows as we can before the year [is] out, and we plan to keep playing and jamming next year."
Shark Saddle
Perhaps the most temporally impressive band on the list, Shark Saddle, a seven-piece ska-reggae and soul fusion group, is comprised of all freshmen. The band's members — Aidan Scrimgeour and Jackson Clawson on keyboards, Greg Warns on guitar, Michael Seltzer on saxophone, Ben Averill on trumpet, Dan Callahan on drums and Rohan Joshi on bass — all met through their freshman-year housing.
"Five of us lived on the same side on the same floor of Houston," said Warns. "The group kind of organically grew from there."
Many of the band members came to Tufts looking to play music, but didn't want to join a class or club to do so. And like Not So Gentleman, the members of Shark Saddle come from diverse musical backgrounds. While some of the Shark Saddle musicians boast jazz chops and more classical repertoires, the band's sound remains vibrant and energetic.
Despite their unique sound, it is a bit of a mystery how seven freshmen could so successfully gain a following in such a short period of time. During Battle of the Bands, many in the crowd were donning Shark Saddle tanks and dancing animatedly to their tunes.
"It's all about reckless and shameless self-promotion," Scrimgeour said. "As a band, your goal is to play as much as you can and get the word out that you're here."
Utilizing social media platforms and word of mouth recommendations, Shark Saddle has certainly made a name for themselves. However, with success come challenges. With so many members, including five engineers, even organizing practices can pose logistical difficulties. They hope that their housing arrangements for sophomore year — with five members living together in a suite — will help facilitate more practice, song-writing and musical growth. 12
