The Dollhouse Returns on Friday the 13th

Friday the 13th at the Dollhouse brought girl pits galore, as Soberdose, Char, and Off Beat Degradations rocked out the new DIY venue.

Words by Brenne Sheehan / Photos by Hollis Mehling / Graphic by Olivia Nguyen

This Friday the 13th, in the middle of October, a purple haze set over Dollhouse’s early evening show that started at 8 p.m. People flooded through the doors with their best costumes as the stage awaited, decorated with a Kermit the Frog doll wedged between the drum set. The second show of the year at the Dollhouse was about to begin, with three new acts: Soberdose, Char, and Off Beat Degradations.

The Dollhouse, a DIY venue marketed towards the alternative, grunge, punk, and metal scene hosted its first show on September 9th. Their second show was set to play the week before on October 6th, but ended up being delayed by one week. 

On the 13th, local Syracuse band Soberdose started the fun. The group ordinarily plays with five members, but in the absence of guitarist Aiden Hanas, Soberdose put on an impressive sound with only 80% of the band present. The band played with Chey Scott on vocals, Donovan Nguyen on bass, Jake Seitz on drums, and Max Palumb on guitar, performing a set mostly from their debut EP “Left Unspoken.” Soberdose opened with the catchy “You Won’t Change,” a dance-worthy piece that lit up the room with energy to commence the night.

“When they told us about this, I was immediately like, ‘Yeah, basement show. Hardcore Show.’ I’ve been dreaming to do something crazy small,” said Seitz, who highlighted that their performances before the Dollhouse had been playing for Aiden’s dad’s friends or for talent shows. The band was beyond pleased to make their house show debut.

Chey Scott (right) belting out vocals for Soberdose. Photo by Hollis Mehling.

The group continued their set with other songs off their EP, like “Sober for Me,” “Fruit ig,” and “Sour,” all of which highlighted the group’s desperate sound with heavy instrumentals. They also covered the classic “Toxicity” by System of a Down and the romantic wartime tune of “Zombie'' by the Cranberries. As Scott brushed hands with the crowd and called on a Dollhouse classic all-girl mosh pit – referred to as the “girl pit” – the band commanded the room with Scott’s powerful vocals and enchanting charisma.

As the next act approached the stage, the room suddenly became much more crowded than before. The all-too-familiar smell of ham and onions filled the room. Some audience members neglected to put on deodorant before attending, and oh boy did they not hesitate to reach the front of the pit. The next act was Syracuse University’s own Char.

The four-member group formed this past spring, according to guitarists and vocalists Brunon Kaminski and Vijay Tandon, after parting ways with their previous acts to create a new band that focuses solely on, as Kaminski puts it, “Loud fucking music.”

“I realized the Dollhouse was seemingly one of the only venues I know of that has rock, punk, or anything. Everywhere else hosts a lot more indie or bedroom pop. We went to the first show and it was just fucking awesome,” added drummer Vito Vetere.

Combining the various influences of groups like Melvins, The Smashing Pumpkins, Swans, and Sonic Youth, the group's extreme instrumental focus leaves you with an experience nothing less than abrasive.

The group has yet to release any music, however their set consisted of a mix of both original songs like “Intro Song” and “Telecasting,” and covers of bands like Sonic Youth and Black Midi. Their last song “Shimmer” made everyone mosh so hard that several people fell on stage, some even grabbing the framing of the roof to stay afloat. The experience in the pit at this show was certainly not for the faint of heart. 

“To me, the most interesting type of show is the one where you get pushed around. That’s what the goal is,” said Tandon.

The last act of the night was Off Beat Degradations, a post-punk group based in Binghamton. They opened with the playful “ICU,” utilizing the band’s talented lead vocalist Lynnette Linares for her siren-like stage presence and vocals. As the girl pit returned, the foreground of the stage was replenished with the feminine rage typical at the Dollhouse. Off Beat Degradations mixed a fun, sarcastic take on post-punk with a sudden shift to soft metal in songs like “Lobotomize” and “Delirium.”

Off Beat Degradations play at the Dollhouse. Photo by Hollis Mehling.

Although they are based in Binghamton, the group is native to New York City. In addition to combining elements of punk and metal, their discography emphasizes the members’ Hispanic background, especially with their performance of “Misericordia,” sung completely in Spanish.

“With our new song (“Misericordia”), we really wanted to highlight our roots,” said Linares, who is Dominican, also mentioning that bassist Ariana Saez and guitarist Tyler Auffant are Puerto Rican. “We wanted to come and say hey, we’re Hispanic, we’re here, and we’re different.”  

The lights and haze began to fade as the night concluded around 10:30 p.m. If there’s one thing to know about Dollhouse, it’s their emphasis on personal responsibility and etiquette. Although the scene can get a little intense when the music takes control of the room, the Dollhouse staff goes out of their way to provide for a safe environment for attendees. If you are looking to indulge deeper into Syracuse’s alternative scene, the Dollhouse is for you.