Until recently, CMP senior Nathan Smerage wasn’t sure what releasing his solo music would mean. While writing and recording the songs for his upcoming EP Rain Check, Smerage was surprised to find that his initial vision for the collection was not at all like what he would end up producing. The EP will be released at his senior show in April.

Bands play on SFUAD’s Quad at a back to school show Sept. 6, 2015.

“This is a really great way to put off your homework for Monday,” said Greg Bortnichak as he poised his fingers across the fretboard of his cello. Bortnichak makes up one half of Teach Me Equals along with Erin Murphy, a duo from Florida that brought their blend of classical instrumentation and modern experimental rock flourishes to the O’Shaughnessy Performance Space last Sunday, Oct. 5. Bortnichak’s quip hit home for most of the gathered crowd of students as laughter brought in the next song of squelching electronic loops and the roar of the band’s hypnotic, distorted tones. Before his set, Bortnichak spoke enthusiastically about SFUAD’s music program facilities, claiming amazement at the students’ easy access to performance and practice spaces, as well as recording facilities. Testament to this point is the ability for students to put on shows on a Sunday night, and several students took advantage of that luxury. The space filled up quickly as openers Venus and the Lion took the stage, and it was quickly apparent that these students were there to move to the music, not simply stand as idle observers. After releasing its debut EP Absinthe last February, the SFUAD-student band Venus and the Lion have been working on new material. These songs expand on a foundation of groovy, classic rock-tinged sound established on its freshman effort. These elements have been expanded into longer, more complex arrangements that still manage not to stray from the band’s ability to tap into a crowd’s lust for dance-ready rhythms. The audience was along for the band’s ride, taking in newer material with vocal enthusiasm, although there was a noticeable spike in cheers as the band tore into its best-known single “T. Rex,” whose bluesy stomp threw the crowd into a sudden blissed-out...

Venus and the Lion drummer Colton William Liberatore talks about his experiences on and off the stage in this audio-visual piece.