An Inside Look At The Band: Afternoon
Alexis Stakem
Staff Writer
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If there is one thing teen melodramas are known for (despite some of the most ridiculous plots ever conceived, which can only be written off as the writer's lifelong fever dream) is their ensured inclusion of bands comprised of go-lucky teens, who all come from different walks of life, most notably the nerd (just some random, undeniably attractive person with glasses), the bad
boy (a.k.a Mr. “I'm Weird'' himself), the jock (they can't do math, but he can have in-depth talks about philosophy and life's intricacies) and the popular girl (there's more to her than her Instagram—she also has a Twitter!).
They face numerous setbacks such as: facing off against the already well-established school band (of which all the members are British, even though it's an American school), or one of the members tries to back out of the band last minute because they’re embarrassed to be seen playing an instrument (as everyone knows, playing the guitar is just not as cool as shredding on the pan flute).
They eventually make it Hollywood, but only after
winning a knock-off version of American Idol, and the audience is left to assume they stay together forever, or at least until one of them leaves to try and start their solo career, ultimately failing (because honestly whose favorite member is the drummer), and end up becoming a judge on the aforementioned knock-off American Idol (thus perpetuating the never ending cycle of Hollywood).
However, is this an accurate portrayal of a high school band, or are they actually just a bunch of friends who all love alternative rock (albeit, a little too much, seriously it’s
slightly worrisome) and quote on quote “jamming out”.
Instead of wanting to make it Hollywood, do they just want to have some fun, joke about one of their members going to prison, and hating on Shawn Mendes? Well, according to the band, Afternoon, it definitely is.
Afternoon is comprised of Niya Chagantipati, the manager and keyboardist, Nick Treadwell, the lead singer and guitarist, Noah Lape, the drummer, and Evin Olsen, the bassist, all of whom are sophomores at Cumberland Valley. However, it should be noted that when first asked about their specific roles, all of the members claimed to be the frontman and front woman, respectively, which definitely bodes well for them and their longevity.
Treadwell, Olsen, and Lape had played together before the formation of Afternoon, but it never led to anything serious. They needed a keyboardist for one song, which is where Chagantipati came in. Chagantipati, who had wanted to form a “boy band with a twist” since the eighth grade, was able to convince Lape that they should do something serious with the band and play at the
Prism Concert. Together, they were able to convince both Treadwell and Olsen to do so.
After successfully auditioning as a small ensemble for the Prism Concert, it was now a question of what they wanted to perform.
“We decided to cover A Certain Romance by the Arctic Monkeys because it is a perfect blend of classic rock and the more alternative rock heard on their album, Tranquillity Base Hotel & Casino. It also has a really interesting and upbeat instrumental, particularly with the bassline and drums that really set us apart from the rest of ensembles performing at Prism,” said both
Chagantipati and Olsen.
Afternoon also talked about eventually performing original music, with Olsen at the helm.
“We want to eventually write and perform our own music, and since Evin has already written some, it definitely seems as if this is a possibility,” Treadwell said.
“I mainly write alternative rock instrumentals, particularly for the bass and guitar,” Olsen said.
Also, while on the topic of the future of their band, they discussed their thoughts on performing at other live events; however, before any of the other band members could say anything there was a quick assertion made by the band's keyboardist.
“We are not a strip show,” said Chagantipati. Neither the keyboardist, nor any of the other members, provided clarification about this statement.
Now, despite this seemingly rather large setback, all the band members agreed that they would in fact like to perform at next years’ Mini-THON's Battle of the Bands, and (if they are able to beat Cumberland Valley's already well-established British boy band, Multiple Directions) perform at the Mini-THON Pep Rally. Supposedly, if they do end up performing they will decide to maintain their dignity and not become a “strip show."
What else won't Afternoon do besides become a “strip show"? Great question. The answer, covering Shawn Mendes songs, apparently.
“It all started during our fourth rehearsal. Every previous rehearsal I had asked the guys if we could play a Shawn Mendes song; I mean, have you seen his jawline? It could cut through glass, but everytime the guys opted for Sweet Home Alabama,” Chagantipati said.
“So, finally, on the fourth day of rehearsals, Nick said, 'Sure, we can play a Shawn Mendes song,’” said Lape.
“Then I started playing the intro to Pretty Visitors—” said Treadwell.
“Which is obviously not a Shawn Mendes song,” said Chagantipati said."
“So now, every time Niya asks to play a Shawn Mendes song, we start playing Pretty Visitors," Olsen said.
“I just wish they would play Shawn Mendes, just once, it’s all I want. Well that and a megaphone,” said Chagantipati.
“First off, you don’t need a megaphone. Secondly, I love Shawn Mendes and we play his music all the time,” said Lape.
“Pretty Visitors is probably one of our favorite songs,” said Treadwell.
This comment was followed by Chagantipati slamming her head on the table.
Now, if this article could just deviate away from the rather thrilling tale just told, and allow the disillusioned narrator to shout into the black hole this article will inevitably end up in, she would like to say that she is terribly sorry to all the people, who after reading this article, wanted to hire
Afternoon to play their next seven birthdays because they will not be playing Shawn Mendes. Ever. They will only be playing the most intense rock ‘n’ roll music, music that would cause a grandmother to drop their knitting needles because the sheer volume of the music made their last
good eardrum burst.
There won’t be anytime for slow dancing, in fact, there will be only time for the most aggressive mosh pits central Pennsylvania has ever seen.
The topic of their band name was soon up for discussion, and despite the fact that they sound like the type of people who would only let you listen to their album on vinyl (the only real way to listen to music) there is a semi-fascinating story behind their name.
“I originally wanted the band to be called The Afternoon, but both Nick and Niya protested,” Olsen said.
“We thought it sounded too similar to The Weeknd, so we are just Afternoon,” said Chagantipati.
Although this clarification never arose during the interview, one can only assume they meant to differentiate themselves from the R&B artist The Weeknd, and not the actual weekend. Again, one can only assume this, but it's doubtful they would not want to be associated with the fun loving times that are the weekend.
The band Afternoon is a crazily talented band made up of four people with such amazing music capabilities that it's a shame they hadn't formed sooner. Hopefully, they will continue to play together even after high school because they sound so cool, suave, and every other synonym for
‘cool’ that exists; however (and sadly so), this may be very unlikely. No, really, the band claims that one of them will have a “real career," one of them will be in prison, one of them will be some old guy in a band (possibly titled The Afternoon, as an act of utter defiance), and one of them will be in the witness protection program. Cheers to Afternoon and their inevitable end!