I've got the Von Shakes

Welcome back!

So I figured I'd mix it up a little this week and change the topic of my blog posts from the poetic goings-on here at PSU to the musical side of PSU entertainment. A little preliminary knowledge, every Friday afternoon, actually at noon on the dot, Student Programming Association (SPA) schedules a musical act, typically acoustic, to perform on the second floor of the HUB, next to Heritage Hall. So this past friday, since I didn't have class and had to wait in the HUB for an hour or so before my next class, I figured why not check out that day's act. I sat down and listened in to Von Shakes, three members of an Irish rock quartet that played an "acoustic" set. However, there was an electric bass and electric guitar, as well as the acoustic being played by the lead singer. But the sound wasn't overwhelmingly electric, because the tones of the electric instruments were clean and the acoustic guitar was more resonant than the others. Von Shakes' repertoire included a wide range of original tracks, including my personal favorite "Bali" which the lead singer said, in his wonderfully thick Irish accent, was about "an island we've never been to, but we plan on getting there someday." The song had a folky feel to it, kind of like an edgier, bluesier Bob Dylan, but it was the sad, howling vocals that made the song what it was. Coupled with a very technical and very impressive blues guitar solo, the song became an instant classic and I was hooked for the rest of the set. Von Shakes also covered a Bob Marley song, which I don't know the name of but it was a great cover and was such a drastic change from the reggae I was expecting that it really surprised me. But the song was great and the performance was just as endearing as the originals from Von Shakes. Between each song the lead singer made some friendly banter with the crowd and made a great connection with the students sitting and listening to the performance. Overall, it was a great set from some really talented guys, and I highly suggest getting out to the HUB next Friday for SPA’s final noontime concert of the semester if you find yourself with nothing to do at noon. You’ll hear some great music and spend a relaxing hour in the HUB, the perfect way to wind down at the end of the last week of classes and relax before finals start up!

-Pat