By BRENDAN TENAN
Staff Writer
Students were greeted on their first day back from winter break with rather somber news.
Drew and the Grand Spectacular, a popular band comprised of Saint Rose music majors, would be having its final show at Tierra Coffee Roasters on Friday, January 17. Rumors quickly spread about the reason for this sudden end of such a talented, well-regarded group of musicians, but no one seemed to know with any certainty.
A few people in attendance could be heard remarking before the show started how this has brought to the forefront the harsh realization that their time in college was coming to an end, and they would soon have to enter the world of adulthood. Perhaps that sounds a bit melodramatic, but in a way, it seems appropriate.
Drew and the Grand Spectacular has amassed a strong following on campus over the last few years, playing numerous shows at Jack’s Place, Valentine’s, Tierra Coffee Roasters, and winning the 2013 Garage to Glory contest. For a band that has meant so much to people at such a pivotal time in their lives, it makes sense that some would view the end of its run as a sign of this chapter coming to a close.
Fortunately, the show itself was anything but a somber affair. Approximately 70 to 80 people crammed into the small coffee shop located next to the newly re-opened Madison Theatre, ready to have a good time and send the group off in style.
The evening was kicked off by the duo of Bess Zafran and Aiden Ryan, two students from Albany High School making their debut. For two young high school students playing their first gig ever, Zafran and Ryan showed a lot of potential, playing a number of crowd-pleasing covers from the likes of Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash, among others. They even showed some of the mental toughness needed as performers when the smoke alarm suddenly went off in the middle of a song.
The highlight of their set came at the end, with a unique mash up of the Bob Marley classic “Three Little Birds” with the Jason Mraz song “I’m Yours.” It was especially encouraging to see a strong turnout from their classmates at Albany High supporting them at their first show. They may still be a little rough around the edges, but there’s no denying that Bess Zafran and Aiden Ryan have got potential.
Up next was Brandon Powers-Green, another product of Saint Rose’s music department. Green and his band have an interesting sound that reminds me of early alternative and college rock bands like Radiohead. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but Green knows how to write good, contemplative songs with a nice hook thrown in for good measure.
During their set, a lyric from their first song stood out and seemed in line with the sentiment I overheard from a number of students leading up to the show: “I just wanted it to last forever.” Other set highlights include the song “Whollism” and a staged, comedic rock star tantrum Green threw near the end of a song before singing the lyric, “Just me and my ego.”
Before their set was finished, Green and company announced the new name of their band. From now on they will be playing shows under the name Immaculate Heart.
The moment finally arrived around 8:45, as Drew and the Grand Spectacular took the stage for the last time. The fact that the entire band was able to fit in the coffeehouse was no small feat. The size of Drew and the Grand Spectacular fluctuates from 5 or 6 members playing to as many as 12, and anyone who’s been in Tierra Coffee Roasters knows that real estate in that shop is a very finite resource. Nevertheless, the band was able to configure itself in a way that fit all the members in the front section, and it promptly ripped through a set of audience favorites like “The Adventures of Naked Superhero,” “Neck Beard Summer,” and “Shakin’ Around,” along with a new, untitled song that had an eerie start before building to a bigger and more lush sound.
The band members were very loose for the whole set and ready to have a good time on this last show, as was evidenced by an impromptu jam session by the horn section of the Deep Purple classic “Smoke on the Water.” In a night of many pleasant surprises, the biggest came during the band’s rendition of the theme from “Benny Hill.” After playing the theme once, the band abruptly stopped and lead singer Drew Tirella announced that the band was not breaking up! Much to the relief of its fans, the band is simply modifying its name and will now be known simply as The Grand Spectacular. Many of the rumors about the band’s breakup appear to have actually been started by the band in an attempt to throw off the fans and surprise them.
Based on the look on some of the audience’s faces, it looked like it was a success. After playing the theme a few more times and cracking a few more jokes, The Grand Spectacular ended the night with the song “Tanked.” Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for posters advertising The Grand Spectacular in the near future; it doesn’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon.
