Syracuse’s favorite Halloween music show, Bandersnatch, returned last Friday to Goldstein auditorium. University Union’s annual show was much more intimate than its big brother, “Juice Jam”. Concertgoers comfortably stood at the front of the venue, phones-in-hand and glow bands on their wrist, to watch a line-up perfect for college (literally, 2 out of the 3 artists were college students). With more of a focus on music rather than “Instagram-able” opportunities, most students chose jeans over zebra striped pants and there was a noticeable lack of Carmelo Anthony jerseys and backward hats in the crowd.

The event kicked off with SU’s very own EDM DJ, Ben Spence. The Sophomore looked right at home behind a soundboard as neon lights danced along with the music. Rocking a striped shirt and a bucket hat, Spence started the event with a “what the fuck is up” louder than a frat guy who hasn’t seen their brother in 12 hours.

Inspired by the late EDM artist Avicii, Spence has been making music since around age 11. He’s performed at major events such as Ultra Music Festival and since coming to ‘Cuse he’s even been featured at local venues like the Westcott theater. His experience was evident as he seamlessly transitioned from one bass bumping track to another. The crowd, who looked like they were still recovering from their Friday 10 a.m.’s, finally broke out of their shell once Spence played his own remix of Drake’s “Way 2 Sexy”.

After what we at Jerk guess is a now customary play-through of “Mo Bamba” between sets, indie popstar Maude Latour took the stage. The 22-year old Columbia University student was responsible for most of the excitement in the crowd. Sporting bedazzled jeans, a neon green crop top, and sneakers, the tik-tok famous artist definitely lived up to her self-proclaimed goal of “being extra all the time”.

Latour controlled the stage expertly, carefully changing the mood of the show, each song eliciting a momentous reaction from the crowd. Fans screamed lyrics to songs such as “Superfruit” and “Furniture” as Latour danced from one end of the stage to the other.

In an act that “self-love” advocates around Instagram would be proud of, Latour asked the crowd to stop and “take three deep breaths” in the middle of her set. For a couple seconds the entire venue went quiet. Not like an awkward Zoom breakout room quiet, but more of a watching a wholesome sunset kind of quiet. Latour went right back to the show, her flamboyant we’re-all-in-this-together energy carried her all the way into her final track, “One More Weekend”.

To top off the event, former “Are You the One” contestant Tai Verdes delivered a dynamic performance. Verdes’ tasteful blend of rock, hip-hop, and pop made sure that there was a song for everyone in the crowd. The 22-year-old artist was accompanied by a live band that delivered adrenaline-pumping solos to songs like “BAD BAD News” and “Happy til it hurts”.

Verdes’ confidence and rock-star energy culminated when he held his finger up to his earpiece, doing his best FBI agent impression, and let the audience know that “someone at Syracuse is telling me we have to change today's date...to 4/20”, and then launched into a performance of his hit-song “DRUGS”. Verdes finished the night with an impassioned performance of his mega-hit “A-O-K”.

From bone-shaking EDM beats to hypnotizing pop lyricism, Bandersnatch provided an experience perfect for music lovers. With a global pandemic still raging, mid-terms, and all the other normal bullshit that comes with college sometimes it’s just nice to, in the words of Tai Verdes, sit back and sing “like you’re at a fucking concert”.

Bandersnatch is Back