From Campus to Crowd: Laundry Day Makes Their Stop in Syracuse
Article by Natalie Fuscaldo & Catie Blackman, University Union Editorial Board
Assistant Director & Director | Photo by Jesse Mair
Laundry Day is a New York City-based indie/alternative pop-rock band formed by high school friends Jude, Sawyer, Henry, and Henry (yes, there's two!). Their bedroom pop sound, combined with their youthful energy, has captivated listeners and fellow artists. From a feature on Netflix’s “On My Block” with the song “FRIENDS”, to their newest album release, “EARWORM”, and a growing, committed social media following, Laundry Day is the band to be looking out for. Their current tour, “The Time of Your Life Tour,” is a US run, focusing on making plenty of stops in college towns including Syracuse, Burlington, Madison, Athens, Gainesville, Durham, and more.
The band did an incredible job at engaging the crowd of college-aged attendees, creating an exciting yet intimate environment at Syracuse’s downtown venue, “The Song and Dance”. From hits like “I KINDA LIKE THAT” and “SUPERMODEL”, to closing out the show with a cover of “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” by Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes, lead singer Jude Ciulla-Lipkin kept energy up from start to finish. Following the performance, students who were casual listeners quickly transitioned to fans, raving about not just the vocal experience, but the environment created at the show by both the band and the fans. This is what was so unique about Laundry Day and why their stop in Syracuse mattered — they are actively targeting the casual listener to become as energetic as the established fans in the crowd, and they’re succeeding.
Photo by Catie Blackman
Entertainment matters for students at Syracuse University. Between the academic rigor and social expectations SU students face on campus, entertainment events serve as a stress reliever during intense weeks, and are a way to build community and support the arts outside of classrooms. Shannon Delaney, a freshman at Syracuse University, shares her perspective on the importance of accessible entertainment on and near campus. She talks about how these live opportunities have “added such a great aspect to my college experience,” and that “the shows never disappoint.” Talia Silver, another freshman at SU, adds that live shows “give a break in your day to shut your brain off and feel some dopamine.”
Syracuse University has faced a significant decline in live music opportunities over the last few years, with landlords shutting down most house shows in the area for college students to attend. Ronnie Kabbash, a student in the Bandier Program, focuses on this issue and is actively searching for solutions to this issue with a committee of students dedicated to the live music scene at SU. She explains how artists such as Laundry Day’s efforts in making stops in college towns, especially SU, “provide a different atmosphere than normal campus fraternity party culture.” Along with this, Ronnie thinks that “having more popular artists play in college towns could introduce these types of settings to more people, which could create more demand for house shows and other live performances.” These types of shows allow for a fun environment and a change of pace for those not participating in Greek life activities.
Photo by Jesse Mair
Along with this, Laundry Day makes an active effort to provide exposure to local artists. Junior at Syracuse University, Sammy Curcuru, was featured as the local opener for Laundry Day’s stop in Syracuse. Sammy met the band in his freshman year while playing at the same festival, and was able to keep in touch over the years, ultimately leading the team to recruit him as an opener. Sammy says that he “never thought [he’d] have a chance to support one of their shows,” describes his experience as “a dream”, and was “excited at the opportunity to play with them again, especially here in Syracuse.” Many students attended the concert not only for Laundry Day, but to support a fellow SU student and friend – even if they weren’t familiar with the headlining performance of the night.
Even on a Tuesday night in the single-degree weather, students at SU craved a live music experience. College towns aren’t just “smaller shows”; rather, they are cultural moments where students are able to escape the stress and have a good night supporting artists, both local and touring.
Listen to and follow Laundry Day below!
Instagram: @daundrylay
TikTok: @daundrylay
