NONEWFRIENDS., with opening act Lauren Juzang, managed to bring together an excited and engaged crowd of college students at Funk N’ Waffles’ concert venue on Saturday, February 5th.

By Gloria Gress/Photos from Jeanisha Mariah

Winter break seemed endless without live music. The Omicron surge halted concerts once again and it felt like we were all back in that first COVID-19 winter. Then at the end of January came some good news (finally) that Omicron was subsiding. This brought me immense relief. The live music scene in Syracuse had been incredible during my first semester, and I missed it. Saturday, February 5th, at Funk N’ Waffles in Syracuse, NY was my first concert in well over a month, and it couldn't have been a better reentry to the live music scene.

If you haven’t been to Funk N’, it is an experience I would recommend, even just for the waffles. A bonus to the restaurant is its concert space, which provides an intimate atmosphere for people to gather and appreciate good music. Its small size means you constantly bump into friends you know and easily meet new ones in a relaxed setting, something I deeply appreciate about seeing live music.

Both acts that night played songs from debut EPs released last December and January. Kicking off the show was the incredibly talented Lauren Juzang, a first-year student in Syracuse’s Bandier Program for Recording and Entertainment Industries. Juzang’s debut EP, titled HAHAHHAHA, is a tribute to her adolescent years told through the lens of indie pop melodies and dream-like vocals.

Juzang’s set was backed by Vir Batra on guitar, Anish Ghosh on bass, and Nick Beebower on drums—who you may recognize on stage together if you have ever attended a PictureUsTiny show, another Bandier-led act at Syracuse. On this night, however, the usual hardcore pop punk energy was swapped for a mellower backing, providing a major spotlight for Juzang’s breathtaking vocals and lyrical capability. Her set began with the introductory song from HAHAHHAHA “Lost Echoes,” featuring the first of several impressive guitar solos performed by Batra. Following “Lost Echoes” was her first ever song released on Spotify titled “High School Dreamers,” which is my personal favorite. In a live setting with drums, bass, and electric guitar, Juzang’s work is given an extra boost of rock energy, which left me pondering whether we’ll witness her moving closer to the rock genre in future songs.

Lauren Juzang playing the acoustic guitar.

One thing I have learned from college shows in Syracuse is that the people here like Katy Perry. Midway through her set, Juzang swapped electric for acoustic and performed a cover of “The One That Got Away;” if she did not win the crowd over already with her stunning originals, this was the moment. The set concluded with the band leaving her solo on stage, covering what she noted as her favorite from HAHAHHAHA, “Best of Me.” By now, the crowd was fueled by Juzang’s stage presence and was ready for the main act.

Do You Still Think About Me? by NONEWFRIENDS.

Also having just released a debut EP, Do You Still Think About Me?, NONEWFRIENDS. filled Funk N’ on Saturday with unbelievably groovy jazz tunes. The band consists of five members from SU: Elizabeth Stuart (vocals), Peter Groppe (guitar and bass), Jackson Siporin (saxophone and guitar), Scott Greenblatt (keyboard), and Jack Harrington (synth bass). Added to their live performance was Chris Cummings on drums. The group brought the crowd into their music right away; Stuart commanded everyone to sing along and snap during “Not Your Girl,” a number that featured artist Yoshi T. joining them on stage for his verse. Following that track, the band did a cover performance of “Super Rich Kids” by Frank Ocean, another well-received sing-along for the crowd. A follow-up cover, one of the higher points of their set, was “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” Lo and behold, the song held up to the atmosphere—the girls were indeed having a lot of fun.

Yoshi T. (Left) and Jackson Siporin (Right) being rowdy.

They concluded with “May” from Do You Still Think About Me?, which is a slower, prettier ballad that Stuart takes complete control of with her ravishing voice and ability to capture the crowd’s attention. They did not get off that easy though; an extremely enthusiastic crowd requested an encore as soon as they stepped off stage, bringing them back for “Already Gone,” their very first and most popular song on Spotify.

If you have not checked HAHAHHAHA or Do You Still Think About Me? out already, they display some of the best current talent on Syracuse University’s campus. If you are a student looking to immerse yourself more in the live music scene, do yourself a favor and see NONEWFRIENDS.

Some New EPs at NONEWFRIENDS.’ Funk N’ Waffles Show