Philadelphia “Welcomes” KU band
KU student band Welcome to Earf made its Philadelphia debut Tuesday, Jan. 26 at the Khyber, where band members enjoyed the opportunity to reach new fans with their infectiously energetic reggae-infused brand of indie rock.
Sharing the bill with Lancasterbased indie five-piece Aoru Mora and rock outfit Richie Rich and the Poor People, Earf took the stage last around 11 p.m., ripping immediately into the lively beat of “Chicago.” The crowd, totaling about 30 people, included fans, as well as people who had never heard Earf before, but all attendees were enthusiastic and few could hold back from dancing.
The band was especially grateful for the opportunity to play on a professional-quality sound system, where the acoustics brought out the nuances
of Earf’s sound and allowed for more vocal clarity. Brendan O’Hara, KU alum and vocalist for Earf, said, “It’s a huge change to go from playing
basements and smaller venues where you have to do your best to get the right levels, to places like the Khyber where they perfect the sound quality.”
Previously, Earf’s performances have mostly been at house parties, but the band has made appearances at Global Libations, the Wildflower Café in Bethlehem, and several bars in the Philadelphia area, though this was their first show in the city itself.
Students may also remember Earf’s set during last year’s Earth Day celebration
at KU, when the band’s music rang out across North Campus for hours as they played on the lawn behind Schaeffer Auditorium.
Possibly Earf’s most striking feature is the lead vocals by O’Hara, whose unique, soulful technique bounces from dub-style to rapping to screaming to melodic crooning, sometimes all in the course of one song. But each band member brings his own particular influences to the amalgam of sound that is Earf; alum Evan Raab’s catchy, creative riffs on rhythm guitar; the complementary, sometimes classically-influenced lead guitar by senior Professional Writing major Chris Holland; the solid, snappy basslines by senior Business major Rob Adams; and alum Jack Pfeiffer’s funky, powerful drum beats.
Overall, the band members told The Keystone that they were pleased with the night. Seeing it as an opportunity to reach a new audience and to expand upon their performance repertoire, the members took the time to plan out and rehearse a set list, while most previous gigs have been a spontaneously chosen mix of tunes. A combination of new and old, fast and slow kept the set energetic from beginning to end.
“This time we wanted a perfectly flowing mix of songs,” O’Hara said. Raab said he was happy the audience enjoyed the show. “I glanced at the crowd from time to time, and when I peeked out I saw people dancing,” he said. “If I see at least one person who’s never heard us before dancing, that’s all I need.” He stressed that the band took the gig seriously because they know that to be invited back, the show needed to be memorable. “Bars like the Khyber look for good impressions, or at least any impressions, so we tried to leave one,” he said.
To check out Earf’s sound and stay posted on their upcoming shows, visit www.myspace.com/theearf
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