Happier times in Happy Valley

As regular readers of this blog may know, Roustabout! is one of the most reliable forms of entertainment in all of State College. As a senior music reporter, it’s difficult for me to admit that I didn't go to my first one until last Friday night.

Sometimes, I wasn’t fond of the bands that were playing. Sometimes, plans to go to the event would fall through at the last minute. There are tons of excuses, but none of them are very good, as I learned this past weekend.

After two mostly forgettable bands finished their respective sets, Oppenheimer, a two-piece from Belfast, Northern Ireland, took the Chronic Town stage. The band put on one of the better concerts I’ve seen in my time in State College.

Oppenheimer is a synth-pop pair with music somewhere between the Postal Service and Mates of State on the cheeriness meter and a vocalist who sort of sounds like Kevin Shields. Their recorded material is pretty awesome, but their live show is something to be experienced.

As someone who spends a lot of time complaining about how there’s nothing fun to do in State College and about how Penn State has a terrible music scene, the show was a breath of fresh air.

But the fun doesn’t stop there. This coming weekend is the free Asylum-organized show in the Pollock Rec Room, headlined by Zolof the Rock and Roll Destroyer. The following weekend will have a Roustabout! featuring Loney, Dear, a band I saw over spring break who rocked my figurative socks. And before you know it, it’ll be Movin’ On time. The State College music scene is beginning to blossom.