Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG.
Word on the street is that you and Nate are co-directing Olde Club this year. Who’s directing facilities and tech? Who are all of you and what kinds of music do you enjoy?
Yes! Nate Cohan and I are co-directors. We are here to help one another, keep one another from going crazy, and build the best OC experience possible (and beyond). Charlie Otte is the Facilities Director. I don’t know about Nate and Charlie, but my favorite band is The Weakerthans, out of Canadia. They are the definition of fun. Although The Decemberists are pretty much tied.
I saw that you sent a survey to the student body in June. What were the responses like? Do you think you’ll be able to bring in some requested acts and genres?
A lot of the responses spoke to the desire for the OC to have a more diverse selection of artists, and many mentioned the desire for a truly cigarette-free show space. People seem, overall, to be most interested in artists that have the ability to put on an illmatic live show, which is absolutely fair.
In past years, Olde Club has leaned towards certain genres and/or messages. Will Olde Club have a distinct flavor in the coming year?
That’s another great thing about having a co-director position for Olde Club–Nate and I aren’t going to pick the same acts all the time. We’ve got different tastes, different opinions, we’re different people, and that’s the beauty of it. We’re striving to make sure that Olde Club appeals to the student body as a space to discover all types of music, not just THIS or THAT. Our distinct flavor is the flavor of fun.
Do you plan to revolutionize Olde Club’s image in any way?
Do you mean the physical image? We haven’t talked about that yet, though there were several requests to make the basement space more lounge-y. In terms of publicizing it, yeah! Our website will play a more vital role in engaging the community through photos and video of folks attending the shows. More on that as the year begins. We’ve also got plans for re-introducing the OC to the student body this school year through an event that involves free food, great music, and some visual/interactive stuff. Stay tuned!
Will Treece ’11 once said, “I wish we could use magic.” If you could use magic, what would your ideal night at Olde Club look like?
Floating candles in the air above our heads like The Great Hall. Bigger on the inside than the outside, like the TARDIS.
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Very interesting points you have noted, thank you for posting.