WBRU’s Rock Hunt at The Living Room on Friday night was quite an experience. DJ Shepherd and I started the night with a long and ill-advised walk all the way from the station in East Providence to The Living Room. Having never traveled there on foot before, we became a bit confused as to which direction was which, and found ourselves off-track on numerous occasions, often discovering that we were amid abandon buildings where the sketchy factor was exponential.
After this adventure of sorts, we found ourselves at the Living Room right in time to greet the bands and watch Awesome Brothers take the stage. They had already set up a screen onstage, and as we wondered what it was for, a video began depicting band members Luke and Ashleigh dressed in lab coats and goggles. Ashleigh talked incessantly, and Luke “vomited” spaghetti into her ear. The video was an appropriate precursor to what would prove to be a strange, yet strangely appealing, set that was very reminiscent of an Of Montreal concert. Videos flew by on the screen in time to the beat, all with a quirky-retro emphasis. Luke and Ashleigh put on an increasingly entertaining performance, complete with skilled used of a synthesizer, drum machine and keyboard. Their singing fit the music perfectly and sounded great, and Luke’s guitar complemented the sound well. The result was a show that was fun to watch and music that was more than appropriate for dancing.
Following on the heels of Awesome Brothers was It Was the Best of Times. The first thing many of us thought upon their arrival on stage was “Paramore” (although Shepherd strongly contested this idea), as it was a young band with a girl singer and an alt-rock sound. But as their performance showed, It Was the Best of Times is so much more. Lindsey Powers’ beautiful singing carried each song through complex arrangements that demonstrated the band’s skill with dynamics and melody. The instruments flowed perfectly together, and the keyboard and synthesizer complemented the style perfectly. Their performance was both energetic and powerful, and left us all wanting more.
Finally, Someday Providence took the stage. I was expecting a performance with fun music and lots of energy, and that’s exactly what I got. By far the most energetic group of the night, Someday Providence played a set that left me bobbing my head with a smile on my face. Everyone liked the pop-alt-rock style (with a little bit of a reggae feel mixed in) and Paul and Tom’s singing sounded great. They pulled off their Jackson 5 cover again, which sounded even better than in the semifinals, and they had the whole crowd dancing by the end of the night.
Shortly after Someday Providence left the stage, Shepherd and I took the stage to announce the winner. Yet again, the results were incredibly close, but in the end, It Was the Best of Times pulled it out to win Rock Hunt 2008! As the crowd trickled out, the bands exchanged congratulations and compliments; there were no hard feelings, as all three bands had put on incredible performances. As Shepherd and I left for our long walk through Providence and back up the hill to the studio, our minds were still swimming in the afterthoughts of the evening’s music.
WBRU’s Rock Hunt at The Living Room on Friday night was quite an experience. DJ Shepherd and I started the night with a long and ill-advised walk all the way from the station in East Providence to The Living Room. Having never traveled there on foot before, we became a bit confused as to which direction was which, and found ourselves off-track on numerous occasions, often discovering that we were amid abandon buildings where the sketchy factor was exponential.
Following on the heels of Awesome Brothers was 
Finally, 
