Shenandoah SOundcheck

Cartwheels at jmu give

“As the first electric strum rang through the speaker, I was instantly entranced by their music.“

By AnnMarie Hall, October 24th, 2023

There is never a bad time to listen to live music. But my favorite time is when the sun is shining and there is not a cloud in the sky, and I get to attend an outdoor event. A high of 62ºF is perfect, so the heat of the crowd is bearable, but it is not so cold that my joints are frozen, so I can dance without hearing my knees and ankles crack.  

On Saturday October 7th, I went to a fundraising event for JMU (James Madison University) Give that hosted live music. Cool people walked around wearing combinations of cowboy hats and vintage band tees. I could guess that at least 50% of the eventgoers flaunted a nose ring or tattoo, which means “cool” in my book. And I felt like I fit right in, having gotten my nose pierced a day prior. If the partiers were not listening to the music, they were playing cornhole or sitting in the grass and laughing with their friends. 

 The “stage” consisted of a jumble of wires attached to a hodgepodge of instruments, microphones, amps, and speakers. There was a carpet or two that did not belong outside, laid across the grass — I am assuming to protect the expensive instruments from the ground made muddy from rain the night before. Featured bands including Shady Trace, The Binge, Cartwheels, and The Dead Queens would make their way to the chaotic, but only fitting stage, and the crowd would trickle over ready to cheer on their friends or discover a new obsession.  

All bands but The Dead Queens (based in the general DMV area) are based in Harrisonburg/JMU. From each band, their sets consisted of a mix of covers from popular classic rock or alternative indie: ranging from Foo Fighters to The Backseat Lovers; and performing songs from their own discographies. They amped up the crowd, told stories about how they began, introduced the band members, and urged the music-lovers to sing along to their favorite songs. They all had their fair share of singing along, dancing, foot tapping, and cheering from the crowd, but the band that blew me away the most was Cartwheels. 

At the beginning of their set, they announced their one-year anniversary of performing, and as the first electric strum rang through the speaker, I was instantly entranced by their music. With a player on the electric guitar, the bass, the drums, and the keys, it can be difficult to make it through a set completely smooth, but the four Cartwheels players effortlessly fed off each other’s energy and deciphered their cues. Many bands depend on their lyrics to draw energy from the crowd, but with their long and impressive musical breaks the Cartwheels held the audience’s attention like their instruments were the words. Watching them play reminded me of watching a jazz performance; how it ebbs and flows, and the players listen to the others play to make their next move. I could have watched them perform for hours. 

On top of their excellent musical talent, the players had a great zeal for what they were doing, and I could not help but watch their faces light up as they looked at each other or out to the crowd. Specifically, their drummer, Jeremiah, lit up the entire make-shift stage as he carried the beat from song to song. And it was very fascinating to watch Rheese on electric guitar, Ian on keys, and Evan on bass, and how focused they were on how their fingers moved. Each riff that required them to skip their fingers from string to string was met by a loud whoop or “Yeah!” from the crowd. While my eardrums were blown out in the best way possible by the giant speaker directly to my right, I was mesmerized by their exhilarating compassion and constructive collaboration. 

As I moved up to the front of the mass, I witnessed a small mosh-pit, that was just four guys dancing in a circle. But I was laughing and enjoying how those guys were having a fun time, and how live music brightens up a community.