Bella Fiske and Nancy Dunkle Bring Indie Bliss to Mudpit’s Pink Night

Saturday night in the Syracuse live music scene means it’s Mudpit night. This Saturday, however, was a particularly pink one.

Words by Ava Caiati / Photos by Sophie Davis and Hannah Stein / Graphic by Olivia Nguyen

September 30th was a special night at Mudpit, or rather a pink one. The dress code for this show was simple: just wear pink. Starring in the show were SU’s own Bella Fiske and Nancy Dunkle, a notable indie duo.

As the show began, the typically dark basement of Mudpit glowed with shades of pink and high energy from the crowd. Bella Fiske and her band kicked off the show with one of their highlight performances, as “Kiwi” by Harry Styles got the crowd immediately amped up. Goldie Singer began with drums for the first song, then later took over on bass with impressive versatility. Annie Knobloch remained on drums for the rest of their set and absolutely blew the crowd away and Kiera Walsh accompanied Bella on vocals and guitar. 

Many high-energy crowd-pleasers earned a place on Fiske’s setlist that night, such as “Sex on Fire” by Kings of Leon and “Misery Business” by Paramore. Later into the performance, Fiske shifted to more personal music, starting by playing her single, “Break.” With the track being the first song she ever had on Spotify, a sizable part of the crowd knew every word and sang along. Fiske also performed “For Once,” another song off her EP from July, which set a different vibe for the audience with intimate acoustics. Fiske and her band simply gripped the audience.

Bella Fiske (right) and Goldie Singer perform at Mudpit’s Pink Night. Photo by Sophie Davis.

Nancy Dunkle followed Fiske’s act, opening with “Gold Guns Girls” by Metric, the perfect alternative rock song to kick off a show. The crowd at Mudpit came prepared to join Dunkle and her band in the spirit of indie favorites like “Creep” by Radiohead, “Where Is My Mind?” by Pixies, and “Animal” by Neon Trees. Nancy’s lead guitarist Ollie Mckay, rhythm guitarist Ben Webster, and bassist Peyton Barlow filled out the sound on some exemplary covers. Nancy’s voice was backed up by vocalist CC Cosenza and incorporated the unique element of Aisling Casey on saxophone. 

Dunkle and company’s throwback covers gripped the crowd and instantly filled the humid environment with electric intensity. It was evident that Dunkle took great inspiration from rock-inspired indie pop, playing covers like Briston Maroney’s “Small Talk” and Grouplove’s “Raspberry.” The crowd was taken home by “Raspberry” and the show concluded with a powerful collection of vocals and instrumentals. 

Both bands’ dedication to their performances and amplifying the live music scene at Syracuse was evident. Whether it was an original song or a cover, the bands kept the crowds at the same level of engagement in new music as old. Pink Night at Mudpit was a night to remember and the anticipation of what both bands accomplish in the future will stick with the crowd. 

Nancy Dunkle sings to an engrossed audience, even as the night came to an end. Photo by Hannah Stein.