The concert on Friday, April 11 could be described as a stimulus overload. Not just one band from out of town, but three. Not just pop music, but “electro-pop,” complete with multicolored star-shaped lights flashing on a projector in the background.

The concert opened with the one-man-band called Guidance Counselor, whose MySpace page describes his music as “Ghettotech” and whose all-over tattoos describe him as anomalous.

Then Starfucker played an hour of electronica and finally United State of Electronica (U.S.E.) headlined with some serious dance music.

Junior Sam Chasan, Public Events Director, said that he chose these bands because he thought they would work well together and bring a new type of music to campus.

“It’s a different genre than we’ve had. We had Devin the Dude and Blue Scholars, which are both hip-hop. And then we had Grand Ole Party, which is rock. So this is like fun dance music,” he said. “I also liked getting the local groups. Starfucker is kind of a Portland gem, and then U.S.E. is also pretty ridiculous and they’re from Seattle.”

Pre-concert, six of the seven U.S.E. members were preparing in a room next to Reid. Vocalist Carly Nicklaus was curling her hair without a mirror, some of the band members were eating snacks provided by Whitman and keyboard-player Noah Star Weaver was drawing attention in a green shrunken puffer jacket, which he later swapped for flowered pants and a see-through white t-shirt that said “Dance” in big letters.

The first thing the band members said was that they love playing for college campuses.

“It’s definitely a different energy level than at the bars. People go to bars to drink and have sex,'” said Jason Holstrom, the guitarist of U.S.E. “People who go to bars can become a little jaded, but I remember the first show I saw at college…it changed my life, it was just so exciting.”

Holstrom also described U.S.E.’s first tour.

“We got booked at this 1,500 capacity club on Chapel Hill in North Carolina and one person showed up. Literally. And by the end of the set he and us and the other bands were all dancing on stage, there was no one on the floor,” he said.

One of vocalist Amanda Khanjian’s favorite concerts was the one following Chapel Hill because the sole audience member, Steve, came to see them.

“A few weeks later we were playing in Minneapolis and I came out of the bathroom and there was Steve! He flew out to see us again, our one fan!” she said.

Although U.S.E. has gained countless other fans since then, they still like to maintain a level of intimacy with the audience members.

“We hate those barricades,” Khanjuan said, in reference to the short fences that lined the front of the stage in the Reid Ballroom. “We don’t see the need for barriers, really.”

Josh Hodges, who plays keyboard and drums in Starfucker, made a similar comment after the show.

“[The barrier] sucked because the thing we like the most is when people come up on stage and knock our shit…and it’s fun,” he said. “Because that’s how we started, in house parties in the basement. It’s like being with the people, instead of above them and separated.”

Starfucker, like U.S.E., has grown since its basement days but its name reflects its refusal to conform to the wishes of the music industry.

“It’s just an intentionally stupid name because it’s a constant reminder that the music industry sucks, and that’s not why we’re doing what we’re doing,” said Hodges. “And it’s funny, or at least I think it’s funny.'”

When their music plays on the radio, the band typically goes by names such as “Star-effer” or even “Starfracker.”

“Or ‘Fartsucker’ sometimes, because it’s the same letters but rearranged,” said Hodges.

After a debate about whether it’s okay to talk about penises in the newspaper, and how much they should really divulge about their newest “superfan,” Ian Hunter Anderson from Guidance Counselor stepped in.

Anderson’s personality is expressed on his forearms, which said “GOSH TYTE.”   Anderson said that he received the tattoos down in his friend’s basement, and that he uses those words a lot and thought it would be funny.

“My mom cried when she saw them,” he said. Anderson then told a story about how he took a fur hat, one which he was currently wearing, from a dead guy who had probably OD’d in a sketchy bathroom in LA.

“It was so shady, but I mean he’s not gonna use it,” said Anderson.

Ryan Biornstad from Starfucker, who does vocals, guitar, keyboards, and drums, said that his band loved playing with Guidance Counselor and U.S.E., and performing at Whitman in general.
“U.S.E. was the perfect band to play after us to keep the party going. I mean, we were dancing like retards over there. It was really fun,” he said. “Oh, and Ian had his pants off for like half the time.”