This week, we have three Campus Celebrities…You may recognize Nate Tepper, who was featured earlier this year as a Campus Celebrity; and also Matt “Crisco” Criscuolo, who was featured as a Campus Cutie; we’re also proud to introduce Andrew Cataldo, the vocalist for this dynamic music group! These three talented students comprise a group formerly known as Four40Five, who can be spotted every Thursday at Lit Nightclub for their newest night, Live N’ Loud Thursdays.
This week they will be playing on Saturday at Lit, so be sure to check them out!
Alexa: Are you the group formerly known as Four40Five?
Nate: That we are. At the beginning of our junior year Crisco, Cataldo and I started playing together and writing our own music. All of our original work we did as Four40Five, but for this new night at Lit we thought it would be appropriate to start fresh.
Alexa: How did three of you come to start playing together?
Nate: Well Andrew and I were set up on a sort of blind date. We had a mutual friend, Carly Weiner, who insisted that we had to meet. Once we finally played together we knew almost instantly that we needed to form a band. Then about a semester later Crisco and Cataldo met over their sophomore summer working at UMass. We started playing together at the beginning of our junior year.
Alexa: How do you guys select the covers you play? Do you take requests?
Crisco: We most certainly take requests! That is actually how we pick many of our songs. We also do quite a bit of YouTube browsing to assess the popularity of a song and to see if there are other acoustic renditions that we can draw inspiration from. When we pick a song we really try and find ones that will translate into lively and up beat covers that people will want to sing to.
Alexa: When did Lit begin hosting live music?
Andrew: Last semester was one of the first times Lit had a full live band. Reza, the owner, was kind enough to allow me to bring a funk band from Berklee, Ripe, who absolutely brought the house down. So from there Reza and I began brainstorming the idea of bringing live sound to Amherst on a weekly basis. Once Reza heard Nate and I perform at the TEDx Winter Benefit Concert he offered us a chance to try and facilitate this new night by playing acoustic Top 40 covers before switching over to a DJ. We wanted people to be able to enjoy both ends of the musical spectrum without having to compromise the bar/party atmosphere.
Alexa: What do you think of the live music scene in Amherst / Northampton?
Crisco: The music scene in NoHo has always been pretty solid, you have places like Iron Horse and Pearl Street that really bring some great music to our area. And as of recent Amherst isn’t too far behind. There has been a great resurgence of live music in town and we want to continue to fuel the fire as best we can.
Alexa: Where do you guys draw influence?
Andrew: For each of us it’s a little bit different, and I think that’s what helps round us out as a band. We all have such a wide spectrum of influence that it comes out in bits and pieces as we are arranging a track. Crisco has a great ear for jazz and brings that type of musicality to the table, while Nate really understands the dynamics of pop music and uses it to give our sound audience appeal.
Alexa: Have you ever thought of incorporating more musicians into Live N’ Loud?
Nate: We have definitely given some thought to incorporating more musicians, but there is something organically entertaining about listening to acoustic instruments perform modern day songs. It’s not out of the question for us to bring new people aboard, but we definitely enjoy our current dynamic.
Alexa: What is that box that Crisco plays? Why does he play that instead of a full drum kit?
Crisco: That swirly looking box is called a Cajon. It’s an acoustic drum that makes different sounds based on how and where you hit it. The corners and outer lines of the Cajon sound most similar to a snare, but as you move further in on the face, it becomes larger and more hollowed sounding like a bass or tom.
Alexa: What are your plans for the rest of the semester?
Andrew: To continue playing Live N’ Loud every Thursday night! We are truly grateful to all of our friends who come out week after week and I don’t think I could imagine a better way to end my four years here than to be doing what I love with the people I love.