Although most Tufts students that pass through Hotung Cafe on Thursday nights only listen to the featured band for as long as it takes to get their midnight coffee fix, the performance by YNOTU last Thursday night drew an usually large crowd.
The audience was not only substantially larger than other nights, but most of the students stayed for the entirety of the band's two-hour set. YNOTU (pronounced "why-not-you") showcased the five songs off their newest CD along with several other original tunes, and finished up the night with an array of cover songs.
YNOTU has a great upbeat sound that is strengthened by the musical and vocal talent of the four members. Formed six months ago, the group's four members clearly work well together and complement each other onstage. Consisting of brothers Nate Collins (guitar and vocals, and the only Tufts student in the group) and Josh Collins (the bassist they call affectionately "Sir Bass A Lot"), Chris Filtrante (drums), and Brad Pitcher (guitar and vocals), YNOTU displayed its talent through an impressive variety of songs that ranged from the upbeat "Chance" to the softer and more acoustic "Brother's Keeper."
YNOTU was described by some audience members as "Goo Goo Dolls-esque." The strong vocals of Nate Collins and Pitcher along with the instrumentals of Filtrante and Josh Collins undoubtedly set them apart from the dozens of Tufts bands that pass through Hotung and Brown and Brew. Their rendition of "Pillow" off their new CD featured an impressive drum solo while "Stick Figure" (also featured on their CD) was marked by an impressive display of guitar and bass instrumentals.
Possibly the highlight of the evening was the informal jam session that led into a song entitled "Where Are You, Ms. Jessica Biel." Mostly an instrumental, the lyrics basically repeated the title with a few variations, including "Where is the soon-to-be Ms. Jessica Pitcher" which left the audience laughing. Their next song, "Ex-Girlfriend," was also a source of comic relief, mainly because Filtrante left his seat by the drums to take center stage and repeat the rather bitter lyrics through a megaphone. Although distracting at certain points, the song clearly showed that YNOTU's chemistry onstage translated into more than just the typical array of rock songs.
Their set closed with a beautiful version of "Brother's Keeper" with Nate and Josh Collins' father Tom Collins joining in with a solo violin introduction to the song. Suddenly, YNOTU was a showcase for the Collins' male talent, which was perfect for the beginning of Parents' Weekend.
The band distributed free copies of its latest CD and encouraged everyone in the audience to "burn it for your friends." Those not lucky enough to own a CD burner can go to Brown and Brew on Oct. 28 to hear acoustic versions of TNOTU songs. They are definitely worth seeing (and hearing), even if only one member of the band is an official Tufts student.
