Some of the student bands at BU Central on Saturday night had experience playing in clubs, and some had a strict following of friends. While they are not as famous as some of the venue’s former artists, the weekend event was meant to give Boston University bands some exposure.
The somewhat-pop lineup, which featured Female Trouble, Paparazzi, Pretty ‘ Nice and You Can Be A Wesley, attracted almost 250 students, said Regina Fetterolf, BU Central and Programming Council Graduate Assistant.
“People have no idea about bands at BU, and we thought it’d be cool to expose them,” said event organizer Demitri Swan, a Paparazzi guitarist and College of Communication senior.
Fetterolf, who said she expected a turnout of 150 students, said the bands’ self-promotion through fliers in their neighborhoods and clubs helped attract more people to the show.
Female Trouble band members, who usually perform in Allston basements, said they would do another show at BU if given the opportunity, according to lead vocalist Aaron Young.
Pretty ‘ Nice, a Vermont-based indie-rock band who played third, had an “avant-pop” sound, said guitarist Holden Lewis, a COM senior.
“We’ve played a couple hundred shows in clubs and houses,” said lead vocalist Will Peters. “I thought there was good energy tonight.”
Paparazzi, another Allston-based punk band, has played about 20 shows since last May, but this was its first time at BU, Swan said.
Members of Boston-based You Can Be A Wesley, who have different musical backgrounds, formed the band a year ago and have played about 12 shows, said guitarist Nick Curran.
“The audience that was here for us is there for every show we play,” the COM sophomore said. “Our following is a lot of our friends.”
The bands, who each played a 20- to 30- minute set, originally planned the event last semester but postponed it because of scheduling conflicts with BU Central, Swan said.