Students traded in their textbooks and midterm study guides in exchange for catchy rogue rappers and stellar indie performances at Hip-Hop and Hip-Sters night last Monday at the bi-weekly RockYoFaceCase concert held at the University Café.
The event was inspired by the CMJ Music Marathon, which is currently ongoing in New York City, According to Rock YoFaceCase co-founder and coordinator Patrice Zapiti.
The concert featured acts ranging from the Stony Brook University group Cyberbully to line-slamming rapper Ugly Danger.
The night was closed out by Hello Jupiter, whose eclectic vibe brought out a huge university fan base.
But it was the third time RockYoFaceCase performers and Texas-based reaper rock band The Frontier Brothers who stole the show. With contagious energy and a southern-charm-meets-Brooklyn-hipster-scene demeanor, show goers rocked out to the easy-listening self-described party punk.
Check out our one-on-one interview with The Frontier Brothers conducted by The Statesman’s Nicole Siciliano:
NS: This is your third time performing at Stony Brook. What keeps you coming back?
TFB: There are a lot of reasons why we keep coming back. It’s fun to play at Stony Brook. We started coming here after we met Patrice (Zapiti), and when she told us about RockYoFace, we knew we had to be here. It’s a different dynamic when you can play for a smaller crowd that has so much energy. The people are great.
NS: This week’s RockYoFace was inspired by the CMJ Music Marathon. How do you feel about the idea of a concert that combines hipsters and hip-hop?
TFB: This is actually our third year that we’re going to be playing in CMJ. I’m a writer first and I know I’m influenced by different kinds of music including hip-hop. I like the idea of mashing genres.
NS: What do you think helps to create the chemistry we all saw on stage?
TFB: There are a lot of dynamics that really help us to come together. We don’t like to keep space between us and our fans. That’s not what we’re about. Our music goes between being driven joy and anger – so the energy is infectious.
NS to Marshall Newman: What are the pressures like as the front man of a band that has such a strong stage presence?
TFB (Marshall): I don’t feel pressure because I have a lot of great stuff behind me. I feel like if these guys didn’t have the talent that they do I’d feel more pressure to put on a show but everyone contributes. I mean, we’re all about the energy – I get out there and I want to be sweating.”
NS: Does The Frontier Brothers have a message for their fans? The last song performed, “Don’t Try & Take my Gun,” seems to be a tribute to the Second Amendment.
TFB: We’re not going to tell you how to interpret that song; we’re not trying to spread a political message with it. All of our albums really try to convey different messages; the message in this latest album has to do with imagination. You can create anything.
