The city of Denver is slowly becoming a mecca for extremely talented musicians and artists alike, and DU’s campus is no exception. The Lamont School of Music continues to turn out talented and eclectic musicians from all spheres of the music world and lately, they’ve been booking some major shows, including Vetta Star’s show this Friday during the Discovery Denver Raw Artists event at City Hall on Broadway.
The product of four roommates, one band merger and almost four years of studying together at Lamont, indie-rock band Vetta Star is known for their smooth vocals, uplifting guitar lines and high energy dynamics.
Members include senior Brandon Meagher, an audio production major with a concentration in jazz drum set from Cape Elizabeth, Maine, senior Charlie Fitz, an audio production major with a concentration in saxophone from Menlo Park, Calif., senior Joey Genetti who’s also an audio production major with a concentration in jazz piano and ’12 Lamont graduate Paul Edelman from Oakland, Calif., who graduated with a degree in jazz guitar. The foursome live in a house near campus where their practice space is a shared basement with all manner of instruments and sound systems for creating musical magic.
Genetti and Edelman performed as part of DU band Sleeptalk for three and a half years before merging with Race Street Riot last summer, which was predominantly the project of Meagher and Fitz.
“We were always opening for each other and playing for each other in our separate bands, when we ended up living together this last summer and we just started playing in the basement, Vetta Star was born,” said guitarist and backup vocalist Charlie Fitz.
Identifying as “intergalactic and indie rock,” the bandmates claim their influences through many different musical avenues.
“I think it’s safe to say that Radiohead is a big influence,” said Edelman. Drummer and vocalist Meagher claimed Vetta Star’s influence as Coldplay, The Foo Fighters and LCD Soundsystem as well. Their first EP combined the creative efforts and existing songs from the remnants of the two previous bands.
“Someone brings in a theme, a riff, and all four of us bring it to where Vetta Star wants to be .… It’s transitional,” said Meagher.
Meagher explains that living together and being close friends is all part of the experience.
“Being in this band though, is the combination of four creative minds working together to put out the best music we can write collectively. It’s teamwork and a family,” said Meagher. While currently looking for a bass player for the band, Vetta Star’s has been able to book some big performances in the past few months. Performing as the main entertainment during Freshman Orientation week this fall was a huge achievement for the budding band.
The group also received some radio airplay this past holiday season for the “Hometown for the Holidays” segment on northern Colorado modern rock radio station 93.3. Because of this coverage, Vetta Star was able to gain some notoriety and they were asked to perform at the Discovery Denver Raw Artists event this Friday at City Hall on Broadway and 12th.
“The Discovery Denver Raw Artists event is basically a multi-genre artist convention,” said Meagher. “It’s one night where you’ve got painters, photographers, aerial dancers and fashion all combined with music … It’s the first gig that we get to play with other super talented musicians plus people that don’t do music because now we have a draw coming from all ends of art, visual as well, and that’s exciting.”
For all things Vetta Star, check out their Facebook, website, Instagram account and Twitter as well as their first EP on iTunes and be sure to make it out for the Discovery Denver Raw Artists event this Friday. Doors open at 8 p.m. and tickets can be purchased online.
