The Racquette

Issue date: 11/7/08 Section: A&E

Local ska band Behind Bad Luck! played its final show on Thursday, October 30. The band was originally scheduled to headline the Thursday night Coffee House at Hurley's Night Club, but had to relocate due to the unforeseen closure of Hurley's. Due to some quick thinking and grassroots publicity, Behind Bad Luck! performed in C119 in the Crane Music building. With over 50 people in attendance at the new location, Behind Bad Luck! went out with a bang.

The atmosphere was charged as the band walked into the room. The majority of the audience got out of their seats and got up close to the band. "It was wild to have a rock show in a place like Crane. You would expect to hear a string quartet, not some loud ska band," said guitarist John Pizzirusso.

The band started back in October of 2007 through Pizzirusso's efforts. Like many freshmen musicians, he was looking to start a band on campus. He created a Facebook group and got enough interest to get a group of musicians together for a jam session. The band took off from there.

Within a month they recorded a demo CD and started spreading the word. Behind Bad Luck! performed at the Winterfest Ska Show in January at Hurley's. They went on to play venues such as the famous Knitting Factory in New York City and the Mezzanotte Lounge in Syracuse, NY.

Every band deals with changes and Behind Bad Luck! was no exception. Bassist Jared Brickman graduated in May of 2008 and drummer Ben O'Brien Smith left the band to pursue other musical avenues. Devon Toland put down his bari sax to fill the role of bass player and drummer Matt Christy was brought into the band. The band played over the summer and then decided that they would play their final show in October.

The Crane Music building is certainly an unlikely place to find a ska show but the unique location seemed to make the show that much more enjoyable for everyone. The tiered setup of rehearsal room C119 allowed for everyone to get a good view. There was enough space in front of the band for the energetic crowd members to dance as well.

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