Virginia Coalition and Aaron Katz Band to play at Fall Rock Show

Although this year's Fall Rock Show performers may be unknown to many students, Virginia Coalition and the Aaron Katz Band are expected to draw a large crowd to their Oct. 8 performance.

"They're two solid bands," Concert Board co-chair Amy Dunphy said, and both bands exemplify the Concert Board's goals for the Fall Rock Show. "We try to have up-and-coming rock bands, and have groups before they get big or are just starting to be big in the underground scene."

The concert will take place in Dewick-MacPhie Dining Hall, which holds about 350 people. Although the bands have lower profiles than some past rock show acts, such as 1999 performer Fastball, Dunphy expects the show to sell out. Dewick is an appropriate location for the rock show because it allows more space to dance, as opposed to a venue like Cohen Auditorium, Dunphy said.

The bands were selected in part because of their musical abilities, Concert Board co-chair Omar Ellis said. They "are very skillful, their music is intricate, and their music is interesting," Ellis said. "We felt they fit well together and it would be a very good show for everyone involved."

Tickets for the annual event, which brings emerging rock bands to the Tufts campus, go on sale today at the Information Booth in the campus center.

Virginia Coalition, from Arlington VA, has a large fan base in the Washington, DC area. The band has toured with the Dave Matthews Band and Counting Crows, and was influenced by music ranging from hillbilly country to jam bands. They have made a niche for themselves on college campuses on the East Coast and in the Midwest.

The five-piece Aaron Katz Band hails from New Hampshire and is known for its intricate compositions, which stem from the late-1990s jam band trend. Former Percy Hill drummer Aaron Katz fronts the band, which has received recognition for its first album Simplest Warrior.

The album's first single, "Faith (The Truth Behind Styrofoam)," was named song of the year by Jam Music Magazine. The NH-based newspaper Seacoast also named Simplest Warrior album of the year.

Although both of these bands are based in the Northeast, the Concert Board does not necessarily consider a band's origins in choosing whom to showcase. "It definitely depends on who's on tour in the area," Dunphy said. The Concert Board is more likely to hire a bigger band if it is already touring the Boston area at the time of a Tufts show, eliminating the extra cost of airfare, she said.

Dunphy and Ellis organized the Fall Rock Show over the summer since it occurs early in the academic year. The Concert Board works with Assistant Director of Student Activities Ed Cabellon when hiring bands and arranging large-scale logistics, such as police protection, facilities, and catering. The Board also works with agents at Pretty Polly Productions, who serve as middlemen in contacting and hiring the bands.