ROTA gallery hosts live music event downtown

The ROTA Studio and Gallery will be hosting an evening of live music on Sept. 28 from 7-10 p.m., held at their new location at 39 Bridge St.

The event will feature the rock and roll, lyrical styling of Viking Moses, the emotionally driven indie chords of Tyler Daniel Bean and the eccentric verses of Plattsburgh’s own Adrian Aardvark.

The concert is one of the many events open to the community that ROTA hosts.

“We’ve been doing different concerts for a while now, but this is our first concert in our new space,” said Christopher Rigsbee of the band Adrian. “We’re just trying to get more people, especially college students, to the shows and show them a variety of music.”

Each band playing at the concert describes their music differently from the next, making for a variety of sounds.

“Depending on whom you ask, it either falls under the indie or emo umbrella. Generally when I answer this type of question, I say something along the lines of Heavy Indie, but I am not sure what that connotes for most people,” Tyler Daniel Bean said.
Brendon Massei of the band Viking Moses said his sound is a taste of rock and roll.

“It’s pretty straight-forward, and the song structures are very simple, and the spirit of it is truly rock and roll,” Massei said.

Getting the gig scheduled was no problem because most of the bands were already acquainted with one another. “Chris Rigsbee from Adrian Aardvark has asked me to come across the lake several times since my last ROTA show in April,” Bean said. “This is the first time it has worked out. Spaces like ROTA are incredibly important, and I appreciate the opportunities to be involved.”

The power of word-of-mouth and the high recommendations helped bring Viking Moses into the mix.

Musicians often are inspired by musical groups of some sort, which contributes to the creating of ideas or a certain feel for their music. For Massei, that muse was Nirvana.

“The whole reason why I am doing music was because of Nirvana back in 1991. That was it for me,” Massei said. “When I heard their music, it just spoke a language to me. It’s really opened up a new world for me.”

Bean said the music and lyrics crafted by bands such as Pedro the Lion, Engine Down, mewithoutYou and The Weakerthans have influenced his recordings.

There is no one more excited for the show than the bands themselves. Massei has played in Plattsburgh only once, which was at a house show, and because of that he is thrilled to be playing for the public in an outdoor setting.

“I’m excited about it. I feel good about the show,” Massei said. The ROTA concert is not just a gig for the band, but also a place to catch up with familiar faces and a good atmosphere.

With a new space and a crowd of fresh faces, Bean is a bit nervous about it.

“I feel OK about it. I’m excited to see ROTA’s new space and old friends, but playing acoustic, which is the plan for this show, causes me a great deal of anxiety,” he said.

In order for ROTA to continue to put on shows like these, the studio asks that its guests try to pay whatever they can so the gallery can afford more of these concerts. The show will be full of talent and brand new music that will give people something new to listen to.

Email Cierra Patterson at cierra.patterson@cardinalpointsonline.com.