This Saturday, Looney and the Tunes will have the honor of kicking off Dillo Day and warming up the crowds. Most student bands might feel intimidated performing alongside the likes of Nelly and Regina Spektor, but not these guys.
“It’s not competition, but still, our music is up there, and it has the caliber to be considered as one of the main acts,” says Communication senior Jordan Looney. “They might as well pay us,” he jokes.
The clear base of the band is Looney, who has been kicking it around the campus music scene since his freshman year. While he rapped solo, his friend and fellow musician, McCormick senior Noah Pentelovitch, always felt there was an element missing from Looney’s performances.
“I always felt like if there was a live band there, we would just tear shit apart — which we do,” Pentelovitch says.
When Looney jetted off to Prague, Pentelovitch coated the campus with flyers and received plenty of responses. Weinberg juniors Aaron Frumkin and Zack Levine came as a package deal, and the rest of the band filled in, bringing a variety of tastes and influences — funk, jazz, tribal sounds and, of course, hip hop.
“One day we got together and jammed, and it was love at first sound,” Pentelovitch says.
Although the band has only been playing together for the past two years, Looney and Pentelovitch have competed in every Battle of the Bands since their freshman and sophomore years, respectively. Last year, the band lost out to Rotimi and the Rainmakers — an undeserved loss, in the band’s opinion — and were especially thrilled to win this year.
“It’s nicer to hear your name called once you’ve heard your name not called before,” says Levine. “All the bands were really, really good [...] Noah and I were holding hands pretty tightly when they were announcing.”
“It’s what I’ve been wanting to do since I was a freshman,” adds Pentelovitch. “It’s just very satisfying.”
Although the Roots are their most obvious influence, the band’s sound keeps changing. Communication junior Mikey Renan is the newest addition in their “ever-expanding band,” adding vocals to the mix, while Bienen and McCormick freshman Max Paymar has joined for a few tracks with his saxophone. Their signature set pieces, however, are their dual drum sets, which Levine and Pentelovitch play together. Although they are a hassle to set up and transport, they have opened up a lot of different opportunities for the group.
“It’s very good for the creative process because we can bounce stuff off each other,” says Pentelovitch. “We can play all sorts of polyrhythms over the top of each other, which adds more depth to the song.”
After performing at this year’s Dance Marathon, Looney and the Tunes are bringing out the big guns and are prepared to give students “the greatest show they’ve ever seen.” Looney affirms that their set will rival the headliners’ in a crazy, high-energy blast of music.
Opening at 12:30 p.m., Dillo attendees can expect that atmosphere to completely pervade their half-hour set. During Battle of the Bands, Pentelovitch recalls people dancing and singing along, even to some of their original songs. Above all, the band wants it to be a party.
“If we could, we would be playing right down in there with you,” says Looney. “We bring the party with us, and that’s the kind of atmosphere we like. Like I could reach over and grab your drink and take a sip with you, that’s how I want it to be.”
But the party is not always welcome in the fraternity quads. Looney recently saw a post on CollegeACB complaining about all the loud music on North campus, where the band practices. Complaints of “who the fuck is playing all this loud ass music all early in the morning” don’t phase them in the slightest.
“[They're like] every Saturday I’m woken up by some high-pitched voice and some crazy music, and it just sucks, it’s horrible,” Looney laughs. “So fuck whoever wrote that on CollegeACB.”
They might not be the most popular choice for Dillo Day, but it doesn’t matter to them.
“They’re just jealous. They’re what’s known as a hater,” Pentelovitch says.
“Yeah,” Looney chimes in. “And we tell haters to hold our coats.”