CNY Shows

Diplo is the act everyone's been waiting for
By Nathan Mattise
February 22, 2011 - 9:47am
The big name DJ can appeal to everyone and has a chance to be the can't-miss event of the year.

I've been critical of some University Union bookings in the recent past. Campus shows so far this year have recycled some of the artists we've seen neighboring CNY schools bring first or they included acts that failed to excite the masses (either groups were still on the brink or too niche for most).

Local Act to Watch: Sarongs
By Dan Creahan
February 12, 2011 - 5:45pm
Sarongs latest gig at The Lost Horizon proved there's no excuse to miss their next one.

If you haven’t listened to Sarongs yet, do it now. Click away from whatever other
diversion you’re currently enthralled with and check them out. Then make every effort to see
them play live as soon and as often as you can. February 26 at The Lost Horizon would be a good start.

Little known Big Sean and Donnis promise to start semester off on the right foot
By Nathan Mattise
January 25, 2011 - 12:40am
At first you may not recognize the acts for the first UU show of the semester, but those in the know will tell you it's a ticket worth getting.

It's less than a week after we managed to get a January/February concert calendar posted and University Union (specifically Bandersnatch) managed to already announce an addition with its first show of the semester.

Syracuse joins the club ahead of the curve
By Shawn Arrajj
October 20, 2010 - 11:09am
Review: Irish up-and-comers Two Door Cinema Club played Schine Underground last night, but could be playing major venues within the year.

Two Door Cinema Club aren’t a household name, but they could be – and soon. This up-and-coming Irish trio have already amassed a considerable following across the ocean and could very well become the next big indie-pop outfit to hit the States.

Phoenix rising
By Nathan Mattise
October 18, 2010 - 9:01pm
Review: France's indie darlings conquer the rock scene in Central New York and around the world.

A friend had a question for me right before Phoenix took the stage last night at Cornell University. The show was sold out for a few weeks and we were packed tightly about 40 rows deep from the stage – this despite getting to the show 45 minutes early.

“So, you think they’re the most relevant rock band in the world?”

Steve Aoki's in the house
By Nathan Mattise
October 12, 2010 - 4:35pm
Review: The iconic DJ’s Schine Underground show proved he’s bound to do for house music what Mozart did for classical.

Steve Aoki played a venue that was appropriately packed to a crowd that was appropriately rowdy. It was University Union’s second sold-out show of the semester, yet there didn’t seem to be any overarching buzz for the event on campus.

It begs the question, how many people know who Steve Aoki is?

Pop provocateur moves crowd, but not to action
By Caitlin Dewey
October 4, 2010 - 11:43am
Review: M.I.A. proved that politics and dance parties don't mix well at Sunday's Cornell show.

Say what you will of M.I.A.’s taste in French fries, child-rearing practices or Sri Lankan political parties – the pop provocateur keeps a crowd entertained.

“If they think I’m f------ bad, I’m gonna be f------ bad,” she spouts, inexplicably, from the stage of Cornell University’s Barton Hall. “And my bad’s not just putting out some f------ s--- hit or something.”

Hamilton 'gets innocuous!'
By Darren Bleckner
October 2, 2010 - 11:05am
Review: Sleigh Bells and LCD Soundsystem made a riotous impression in Clinton on Friday night.

There are a few ways for concertgoers to evaluate a set. Did the audience hear all the radio singles it wanted? Did the band throw in some fan favorites and rarities? Or did the band play a mixture of its whole discography in an order that allowed for the momentous highs while never bottoming out so low that the crowd stands still?

Whichever your answer, LCD Soundsystem has perfected a set list so epic, so powerful and so emotional, that the audience is never allowed to come down from its musical high.

Review: Matt Pond makes 52 friends at the Westcott
By Sarah A. McCarty
October 1, 2010 - 3:08pm
Veteran indie-rocker’s steady, string-filled songs suited the surprisingly small crowd on Thursday.

Despite making a name for himself as the creator of indie-pop band Matt Pond PA, Matt Pond’s 12-year, eight-record career didn’t draw many people to Thursday’s show. Perhaps it was the relentless rain that kept some away. But those who did attend were treated to an intimate set of some of Pond’s best songs.

Preview: LCD Soundsystem bring the party
By Darren Bleckner
September 29, 2010 - 9:09pm
Step through their legendary dance-punk discography before heading to the show at Hamilton College.

Never before has a middle-aged man in a white shirt commanded so much attention, but this is exactly what James Murphy, frontman and mastermind of LCD Soundsystem, does night after night. Armed with a six-piece band, James Murphy goes out with his smooth, deep voice and creates havoc on the dancefloor.