Dazed’s Westcott comeback maintains house show legacy in new, professional setting
Though Dazed’s event at Westcott brought the same numbers as its usual basement events, the larger venue made the crowd’s energy less contagious. Still, attendees enjoyed favorites like Franz Ferdinand’s “Take Me Out” and Paramore’s “Ignorance.” Collin Snyder | Staff Photographer
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When Dazed closed its doors in August, a popular outlet for live music was suddenly gone. Syracuse University juniors Michael Leone, Ella Velkova and Rachel Beegle attended the venue religiously before it closed.
“Everybody on campus who wanted to listen to good live music came to Dazed,” Velkova said. “We don’t know where to go now.”
On Friday night, the former house show venue returned to the nightlife scene with Dazed on Westcott, showcasing veteran bands such as After Hours, GUNK! and Mimicking Mars. Though the night started off quiet, momentum built as the three bands performed for the first time at Westcott.
Because of Westcott’s bigger, open space, attendees like Leone were unsure of how the venue would change Dazed’s dynamic and spark. The former, tighter area created a more intimate spot for attendees to watch the bands perform, he said.
“The ceilings are very high (here), and so it feels very open,” Leone said. “I want a closed-out space and feel the people around, not too tight, but I want to feel a little denser.”
After Hours started the night off on a high note with a cover of Led Zeppelin’s iconic “Immigrant Song.” Lead singer Bella Ierano showed off her voice with long and high notes in the vocally challenging song.
As After Hours played a cover of Franz Ferdinand’s “Take Me Out,” the crowd moved away from the bar stand tables and toward the dance floor. The band faced some technical difficulties with their drum set, but they recovered, featuring other rock and indie covers like Queen’s “Fat Bottomed Girls,” Paramore’s “Ignorance” and Heart’s “Barracuda.”
While After Hours displayed skilled electric guitar riffs and vocals, the next band of the night, GUNK!, shook things up with jazz and R&B tunes. GUNK!’s Mason Manteau brought in his saxophone for the band’s performance, using an unusual instrument in what had been a mostly rock night from After Hours and later, Mimicking Mars.
With covers like Pink Floyd’s “Money” to Radiohead’s “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi,” GUNK! played a range of songs.
The band ended their setlist with “Don’t Look Back In Anger” by Oasis. The song was a crowd favorite of the night, with arms wrapped around and bodies swaying left to right.
Some Syracuse University students voiced that Westcott Theater’s bigger size took away from the closeness they experienced with bands at Dazed’s original house show venue. Nonetheless, bands like Mimicking Mars and After Hours continued the classic high energy with various musical talents. Collin Snyder | Staff Photographer
Mimicking Mars followed GUNK!’s multifaceted setlist. When Mimicking Mars moved from their home base in Monroe, New York, to Syracuse, the band had to reestablish themselves. Mimicking Mars performed at Dazed in February 2024, crediting the venue for their jumpstart, keys player Grant Harding said.
For Mimicking Mars, who’ve performed at both Westcott Theater and Dazed several times, the difference in energy between Dazed’s basement and Westcott’s more formal space was significant. While Westcott Theater served as an opportunity for the band, who plays more originals than covers, to perform at a more professional setting, nothing beats Dazed.
“It’s just electric (at Dazed),” Harding said. “There’s always people one or two feet in front of us just dancing along, taking pictures and videos (of us). And a lot of them are singing along to the lyrics that they know, which is always good.”
SU senior Nicole Russell agreed. Not only were the close performances with the band a unique experience for fans, but the overall ritual of entering and leaving the basement at the original house venue was what brought Dazed their charm.
“Because it was a much more intimate and casual setting, everyone bonded differently,” Russell said. “If it was too hot downstairs, everyone would go on the porch. It was a routine that everyone loved to follow at the end of the night.”
Despite this, Mimicking Mars pulled out all the stops to keep the high energy going by performing original songs like “Jessica” and “$4.75.” Compared to the previous bands, Mimicking Mars played longer, more complex pieces. Even with songs lasting longer than five minutes, the band’s talent shined through band members James Dawson’s guitar riffs and Jeremy Lanuti’s vocals.
Dazed at Westcott marked a new chapter for the venue. From SU students checking out the “new” Dazed to parents watching their child perform in the respective bands, the crowd joined together through one common thread: live music.
“We’re all connected through whatever (the bands are) playing in the moment. It just feels very present listening to the same music, dancing to the same thing,” Russell said. “I just feel it’s something that you can’t really compare.”
