If you are finding yourself tired of hearing “Kilby Girl” played by your friend’s band in an off-campus basement, come get it from the source on Sunday, Sept. 28th.
The Backseat Lovers, a Utah indie-rock band whose name has been on SCOPE artist surveys for quite some time, are finally coming to A Lot this upcoming weekend at 4 p.m. Singer-songwriter Jake Minch and local seacoast outfit Sneaky Miles will take the stage as opening acts, preceded by a vinyl hour from WUNH.
Since the release of When We Were Friends, The Backseat Lovers’ full-length debut, the group has accrued billions of streams across all platforms. Throughout the early 2020s, they performed many sold-out tour dates as well as a number of festivals, including a stop at Lollapalooza in 2022.
“We’d wanted them (The Backseat Lovers) for a long time. They’d definitely been on the list,” SCOPE Publicity Director Matt Wissler said about the upcoming event. “We knew the market was there for them; they scored high on past surveys and insanely high on this one.”
For each show cycle, SCOPE generates a list of talent within the price range and availability of the organization and the University. In past years, The Backseat Lovers had scored high on student interest surveys; however, in years where they entered final rounds of voting and scheduling, they were recording their newest album, 2022’s Waiting to Spill.
“We wanted to switch things up, you know, not go stale,” Wissler said. Over the past few years, SCOPE concerts have featured five hip-hop acts: Rae Sremmurd, Lil Tecca, A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, Flo Rida, and Waka Flocka Flame, and one country act, Tyler Rich. “We want to get in as many genres in a four-year cycle as we can,” Wissler added, “and if you look up at Gilford, the biggest venue here in New Hampshire, they’re booking rock, they’re booking indie, they’re booking country. They’re successful for a reason.”
Coming off of NLE Choppa’s late cancellation of his show last spring and Flo Rida’s late start time this past fall, SCOPE listened to student and community feedback to improve this fall’s show.
“We always want to produce a bigger event,” Wissler said, “a better event too. That was the idea with A Lot–everyone tends to like shows better outside.” With an outdoor show, there comes an earlier start and finish time. “Durham ordinance for noise is 10 p.m. That’s our hard cut,” Wissler said. “You’ll have time to sleep for your Monday."
Jake Minch, a New England native, has been releasing some wonderfully introspective and stripped-back indie music since 2023. Expect a lively and emotional setlist. Standout tracks include “jessie”, “Fingers and Clothes”, and “First I Was.”
Sneaky Miles, a local band from Newmarket, New Hampshire, folds folk and indie into a refreshing and incredibly easy-to-enjoy sound. Listen to “Bird Hunter Song” and “Suzie” for a taste of their unique sound and songwriting talent.
This Sunday, ‘doors’ at A Lot will open at 4 p.m., rain or shine. Your ticket, student or public, will grant access to all 3 shows and the Select Markets pop-up. Reentry to the venue is permitted with a valid wristband; however, attendees will need to pass through security each time they wish to enter. Student and public tickets are now on sale.
