Fall into the season with WERW radio

Syracuse University’s independent student-run radio station, WERW, kicked off its annual fall launch concert Sunday evening, featuring performances from student artist Anthony Martinelli and alternative recording artist Peter McPoland.

Students gathered at Schine Underground 15 minutes before doors opened. The room where many Syracuse events are held was now home to a stage filled with instruments and a CD-covered backdrop with WERW balloons glistening from the ambient lighting.

Students lined up against the barricade, enthusiastically welcoming the first performer of the evening, Anthony Martinneli. He opened the event with an unreleased song, “Younger Days.” The blend of alternative and rock tunes matched seamlessly with the electric riffs of guitarist John Lakeman. Martinelli and his band performed nod-inducing songs from his catalog as well as covers such as Maroon 5’s “Sunday Morning.”

Each musician in Martinelli’s band seemed to be in sync with each other’s rhythm and energy throughout their set. The crowd supported their fellow musically talented students by dancing to the music and following with applauds.

The band ended their performance with the “hype song” – “Spaced Out.” The song felt nostalgic of the rock alternative genre of the 2010s. Before Martinelli left the stage, he made sure to take a quick selfie with the crowd and many of his classmates.

As young audience members waited for the rest of the show, Columbia Records singer-songwriter Peter McPoland came out and greeted the crowd with humor, like he’d known everyone for years. McPoland expressed his dream of always wanting to perform for an intimate-sized crowd and described it as “overkill karaoke.” 

SU fourth-year Marina Abate said she was most excited to watch and hear McPoland perform. “Me and a friend actually saw him in Bologna, Italy when we studied abroad,” Abate said. “We heard he was coming here and we were like, oh, we gotta come back.”

From the barricade, Abate shouted out to McPoland that she saw him in Bologna and was greeted back with “shout-out Bologna” and “shout-out Italians.” The crowd jokingly cheered on whatever he decided to give a shout-out to. 

Interacting with the crowd was at the top of his to-do list. One student held a photo of her friend and asked if he could sign it. That he did. “Hi Ali, I’m currently on stage. Italy.” He made sure that Ali’s friend would explain the joke.

McPoland performed many of his popular hits that showed off his raspy voice. One of my favorites being “Blue.” His casual attitude and joking manner bounced off the concertgoers, which cultivated an intimate experience. Throughout the show he would give shout-outs to whatever popped up in his head at the moment. 

He later played his song “Alright” live for the first time, keeping his eyes anxiously closed the entire time he sang. McPoland introduced his hit song “Romeo & Juliet”, which he said changed his life, his eyes open with confidence.

We also got a sneak peak at his upcoming song, “Good Dream (White Horse).”

McPoland was feeling every note of the songs he performed with his mouth agape, head faced towards the ceiling and eyes closed. McPoland was clearly having fun throughout his performance, jumping around the stage and going back and forth, taking off his guitar throughout the show.

Towards the end of McPoland’s performance, he gave students in the music industry a bit of advice. 

“You can bullsh*t your way into somewhere,” McPoland said. 

He expressed he may not be the most qualified person to give advice but wanted to motivate the students with something based on his own personal experience in the industry.

Students left the WERW fall launch party with smiles on their faces and the urge to get back to their dorm room to make some music, the last piece of advice that McPoland left with students.