The Von Shakes at The Spot
By Michelle Oertner ‘16
Published: Friday, March 22, 2013
Updated: Friday, March 22, 2013 00:03
 "Photo: Photo by Nicole Maselli ‘14 | The Lafayette")
Photo by Nicole Maselli ‘14 | The Lafayette
The band plays to a full house at the Spot last Friday.
The Spot kicked off St. Patrick’s Day on Friday with an appearance by the Von Shakes, an Irish band. Three of the four band members, vocalist Paddy Brazel, lead guitarist Hugh O’Reilly and bassist Cillian McSweeney are originally from Ireland.
The Von Shakes have a unique sound and are impressive performers.
During the concert, they interacted with both each other and the audience, even pulling the singer of the Hoochie Coochie Men, the student band that opened the show, out of the audience to sing the end of one of their cover songs.
Although guitarist O’Reilly had a broken foot and was forced to sit with a propped leg for the entirety of the show, he still managed to perform as well as the rest of the members.
O’Reilly contributed killer guitar solos and laughed with his fellow members.
Meanwhile, the remaining three members huddled around the drum set, picking up extra sticks and making their own beats to play along with drummer Normandin.
The Von Shakes delivered an energetic performance that was transferred to the audience. Throughout the night, people were dancing and singing along with the band.
This same liveliness was also delivered by Lafayette’s student group, the Hoochie Coochie Men.
Both bands displayed an obvious passion for music, while spreading tangible enthusiasm and energy.
The performances of the Von Shakes and the Hoochie Coochie Men were successful in not only showcasing talent, but also in making the band members’ love of music known to everyone in the room.
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