November 11, 2022 | CULTURE | By Annie O’Neill and Jack Madison | Image from the Catalyst archives
Nestled next to the parking lot of an Econo Lodge motel, Colorado College bands set the scene at the unassuming, yet majestic venue of Lulu’s Downstairs on Friday, Nov. 4.
Placeholder
Lulu’s is certainly a gem with its red leather booths, variety of mood lighting and an unmatched ambiance. Music lovers flooded the venue to witness the debut of new CC band Placeholder. And a what debut it was!
Leo Paterniti ’23 as the lead singer provided all the angst and spirit we were looking for, especially in the band’s original song, ‘Bad Milk Man.’ Grooving behind the keyboard was Iyanla Ayite ‘25, with Robby Brooks ‘25 not far behind her tearing up the stage on the drums. And last but certainly not least, Will Landgraf ’23 pulsated the backbone of the music on bass.
Seeing what new talent CC has to offer was certainly a treat, and we should all expect much more to come following Placeholder’s big debut.
Tiny Tomboy
After a debut album with the introspective fingerprints of quarantine feelings all over it, Tiny Tomboy performed at Lulu’s downstairs bar for dancing CC students as well as local music fans. Their loud, rocking style shook up the mirrors of the Tom Waits-esque bar and trembled the velvet barstools below.
Ethan Gould ’23 always provides stellar bass, and created a platform on which Eliza Neiman-Golden’s ’22 moody voice could thrive for songs like “Underwhelming” and “Pentagram Tattoo.” Sam Seymour ’22 threw friendly remarks at the crowd stating that he loves them; his explosive drumming put TNT on the already booming songs. Tiny Tomboy kills it every time and they certainly did not disappoint the grooving crowd.
The Colorado College band scene is one filled with talent. It is wonderful to see some of these folks playing for a delighted public crowd.
Manitou Springs’ Lulu’s Downstairs is hosting another set of CC bands this weekend. And their upstairs brother, Lulu’s Upstairs, is hosting Sallie and The Swamp Goblins as well as Rocky Mountain Tops at 8pm this Saturday Nov. 12.