Aaron May, Waffle Vaflya, and Valantonio Perform at University Union’s Empire State of Mind Concert
The latest UU Bandersnatch concert featured Houston rapper Aaron May and two student DJs from the Bandier program.
Words By Tessa Maddaloni / Photos by Maddi Jane Brown/ Graphics by Griffin Turner
University Union is known for putting together fantastic shows in the music scene at Syracuse University. While Juice Jam and Block Party bring out the entire campus for wide-scale music shows featuring chart-topping artists, the Bandersnatch concert series has consistently provided SU students with the chance to see a broader range of musicians perform in closer settings. On November 11th, University Union hosted Aaron May, Waffle Vaflya, and Valantonio for the Empire State of Mind show in collaboration with Lambda Sigma Upsilon.
Goldstein Auditorium’s dimly lit stage with blue spotlights and strobes set the scene as Bandier student DJ, Valantonio, performed his set. As he took the stage, Valantonio told the crowd, “Let's get some chill vibes, let’s have a good time.” Beginning with a remix of Drake’s “A Keeper,” Valantonio accomplished exactly what he set out to. He donned a beanie and a simple sweatshirt/ripped jeans outfit, supplementing the chilled-out vibe his set cultivated.
Valantonio brought an authentic flare to well-known songs, adding techno beats and transitioning seamlessly between tracks. His smooth transitions and unique vibe rendered him a standout artist demonstrating palpable talent.
In an interview afterward, he spoke about his style of music and why he was drawn to it.
“It feels like a cultural moment and something that is a tight-knit culture,” he says. Valantonio mentioned how impactful it is that music has consistently been a massive part of popular culture, despite largely remaining the same in its most basic form.
“That's something that's not going to go away. That's one of the reasons I like dance music: I also like dancing.”
The following act was Waffle Vaflya, who brought a similar style of music to Valantonio while remaining a unique and robust presence. He chose to play his set while sitting down cross-legged, a mixing board in his lap. He bopped his head to his music and calmly turned the dials while crafting irresistible dance beats. His nonchalant performance showed his true talent, as he made his seamless mixing skills look like child’s play. His set was full of more upbeat and techno songs, contrasting with his tranquil demeanor. These tracks had fewer vocals and more dance beats than Valantonio’s, and once his set was done, Waffle Vaflya left the stage without a word, allowing the music to speak for itself.
In between Waffle Vaflya and the headliner, Lambda Sigma Upsilon performed a thrilling, fast-paced dance routine to keep the audience entertained while anticipating Aaron May’s performance. Their flair and energy were carried by May, who entered the stage in a flash, with a team of seven supporting with vocals and choreography. They kept the energy high while May recited all of his biggest hits.
His songs could only be described as that of a classic rap: intense and full of booming bass. The fast-paced nature of his music mirrored May’s personality, as the Texas native didn’t take a single moment to pause from shouting and moving around the stage. He chanted to his fans, threw t-shirts into the crowd, and even joined them in the audience so that a fan could sing along to “Dreams.”
Another Bandersnatch show has come and gone, bringing yet another great performance to the Syracuse campus. This show in particular succeeded in its goal to get people moving and dancing, and the energy was palpable. When asked about this style of music as a whole, Valantonio pointed out one crucial reason.
“It's a genre that everyone needs to love, like why would you not like dance music?” He joked, “You don’t like dancing? You don’t like being happy?”