Boston College students enjoyed the sounds of Jiggle the Handle on Wednesday night, as the band played to a crowd of about 50 people in O’Connell House.
The band, which was promoting its third album, earned itself some new BC fans. “I thought they were great; I’d never heard of them before, but I’m glad I checked it out,” said Brendan Arrieta-Joy, A&S ’04. Wednesday was their fourth concert at O’Connell House. “This is the best turnout we’ve had here; we’re thrilled!” said Gary Backstrom, the lead guitarist and vocalist.
Attendance was low when the band took the stage at 8:30 p.m., but by the end of the hour-long set, dozens of students were swaying to the band’s eclectic mixture of jazz, blues, reggae and rock.
“I think our reputation here is really starting to grow. At our first concert here, we had ten people or so, but it’s been rising steadily ever since,” Backstrom said.
By the third song the crowd began to let loose, and “Really Should” was met with wild cheers and clapping.
Once the eight song set got rolling, it barely slowed down, except when bass guitarist Chris Kew’s amp malfunctioned, a problem that was quickly remedied.
Kew, Backstrom, percussionist Michael Pujado, keyboardist Paul Wolstencroft and drummer Greg Vasso each had long solos that brought more applause.
During the concert, students flocked to the band’s memorabilia table, where many signed on to the mailing list, which currently stands at 12,000 people, according to Backstrom. T-shirts, CDs and mock Massachussetts license plates emblazoned with “Jiggle” were for sale, and many students also helped themselves to the free “Jiggle” stickers.
Jiggle the Handle, which has been together for three years, is promoting its third CD, according to road manager Aaron Cohen. The band has its roots in Boston, but has lately been touring in the South. “We’ll always be based in Boston, but we’ve gone down south four times now and we’re gaining a real following down there,” Cohen said.
Cohen said the band’s popularity has taken off lately, making their O’Connell House show a fairly low-key gig. “We’ve played in front of fifteen-thousand people at the Berkshire Mountain Music Festival. That was incredible,” Cohen said. Their first album, Mrs. White’s Party, has sold out, attesting to their increasing popularity.
Thursday’s free concert displayed the band’s versatility, as Backstrom and Wolstencroft took turns on lead vocals. Drummer Vasso even pitched in on one song with a rap-like solo. Unlike many bands, no one individual dominated the stage, as each musician was given the opportunity to display his skills.
The band’s increasing following at BC was obvious, as many members of the audience were juniors or seniors who had attended one of more of Jiggle’s O’Connell House shows. “If their shows got more publicity around campus, they could come close to filling the Rat,” Arrietta-Joy said, who plans on attending the band’s next BC performance.
At the conclusion of the concert, Backstrom made sure to promote Jiggle the Handle’s next scheduled show, an all-ages concert at Somerville Theatre on Friday, November 24. Backstrom said the show will be sponsored by the Addison Groove Project and will feature a “magical, mystical Dr. Seuss-themed masquerade ball.”
As far as future O’Connell House shows, Backstrom said, “We’ll be back, no doubt about that. This place rocks.”
Be the first to comment on this article!