On behalf of the CFA, Andrew Chatfield writes in to invite you to a senior music recital by Robert Don ’15, “Humble: An Indie Game Expo.”
More information can be found on the Facebook event page.
Date: Saturday, April 11th – tonight!
Time: 7:00 pm
Place: World Music Hall
“Who is Robert Don ’15?” would be a question asked by somebody who hasn’t been at Wesleyan for more than a minute. Depending on which show you’ve showed up to, he’s either the frontman of solo project vehicle Robert’s Don or the St. Louis-based Since 1902. If you’re confused about the difference between Robert Don singular and Robert’s Don possessive, you’re not alone— even Don acknowledges it’s “an awful band name, trust me, we know.”
But ignore all of that. Don’s latest EP, Liriope, is the reason why you shouldn’t throw up your hands in exasperation. In fact, the four songs and ~20 minutes of music here are the perfect beginning to summer, reminding you that, even after school ends, you will never escape the Wesleyan music scene. Half-recorded in Don’s now-famous room in the Butts, and half-recorded at his home in St. Louis (with production by Since 1902’s Justin Enoch), Liriope expands on some of the excellent anti-folk he experimented with on his debut Honestly Honesty and adds a little blues-rock into the mix.
Tryna go out tonight but don’t know where to go? Tryna hear some good music at the same time? Desperately interested in the unsung story of Narcissus’ mother, Liriope? Robert Don ’15, whose solo music has been featured on this blog before, has good news for you:
Come party with your pals Robby D, Matty KG, and Dylly AC tonight at Buddhist House from 9-12 PM as we celebrate the end of classes by serenading, lulling, and seducing you with the sweet sounds of music. We will be playing Robert’s second EP, Liriope, all the way through, to be heard for the first time ever by human ears! Come be the first to be wowed and regale us with oohs and aahs before the work is released to the public.
Listen to the first single here!
Robert’s Don is:
Robert Don ’15 (guitar/vox)
Matan Koplin-Green ’15 (bass/vox)
Dylan Awalt-Conley ’15 (drums)Also playing are Trash and all caps LADD!!!
Date: May 8 (tonight)
Time: 9:00 p.m.
Place: Buddhist House (it’s not that far and the Ride goes there!)
Cost: Free
Why: Music and the end of classes!
What are you doing? There’s music to be heard! Roberto Muller and the fine people at the Buttonwood Tree are bringing Higher Animals down to play, and if you miss them the first time, that’s alright! They’ll be at Wesleyan the very next night! Not to mention, some of our favorite Wes student bands are opening, so you really have no excuse not to be there at least one night, possibly both:
Friday, March 1st @ 8pm – Higher Animals with Robert Don ’15 and Grand
Cousin at The Buttonwood Tree.Saturday, March 2nd @ 10:30 p.m. – Higher Animals with Carroll at BuHo.
Music and info at the Higher Animals website. Come shake yo’ booty!
Date: Friday, March 1st | Saturday, March 2nd
Time: 8 p.m. | 10:30 p.m.
Place: The Buttonwood Tree | Buddhist House
Cost: $10 adults/$5 Students, and free (pass the hat), respectively
While you were busy watching all of Homeland over break, Robert Don ’15 and his St. Louis-based band Since 1902 released a new album, Slightly Elevated. In the days of yore—colloquially known as last semester—Wesleying featured their single, “Our Front Yard,” and now we’re back for seconds. The album marks a shift in the band’s sound and production quality. Some of you may be familiar with the band’s last full-length album, No Excuses Wednesdays (and if you’re not, you can—well, really should—listen and download here). While No Excuses has a more rock-inspired sound and features more of Don’s throaty National-esque vocals, Slightly Elevated is a foray into a poppier sound and highlights the vocals of bandmate Justin Enoch more (have no fear: you can still hear Don playing the guitar, bass, drums, banjo, mandolin, and doing a little singing). The production quality is also much higher than the band’s first releases and demonstrates their growth and finesse.
As the band describes the album on BandCamp,
Commemoratively titled, Slightly Elevated attempts to recreate the essence of Fancy Dress Day. The moment, as fleeting as it may have been, is crystalized forever through these 14 sumptuous tracks.
Remember when homegrown rock star Robert Don ’15 released released an EP that he recorded in the Butts? (I do, because I promptly started putting “In Good Time” on all of the mix CDs I made). Don and his band, Since 1902, a motley collection of St. Louis bad-boy musicians, have done it again.
The band is busily working away on a new album called Slightly Elevated, a follow-up to last year’s No Excuses Wednesdays. In the meanwhile, they’ve realized a tantalizing single, “Our Front Yard.” The soulful and syncopated track has been stuck in my head all day:
So have the stunning visuals from their music video.
Robert Don ’15, the St. Louis-based singer, songwriter, bassist, and multi-instrumentalist who casually performed at LouFest last summer with his excellent “pirate rockabilly” band Since 1902, has embarked on a solo career of sorts from—why not?—his Butts double. His first release is Honestly Honesty, a brief EP that contains two promising tracks Don wrote and began recording on his own during his freshman year. Honestly (honesty), it’s pretty good.
“Silence,” the lengthier of the two, offers three minutes of shuffling, jazzy interplay (not far off from Since 1902’s LP) and about one minute of breezy indie pop, with multitracked vocals that sound a hell of a lot like Menomena’s Danny Seim. “In Good Time” is a louder, carefully layered folk stomp, with striking backing vocals and production by 1902 bandmate Justin Enoch. The song made its live debut at last semester’s Musical Madness, with drumming assistance by Dylan Awalt-Conley ’15.
As Don explains the project:
