No matter the time of year, listening to Sim Redmond, The Blind Spots, or The Gunpoets brings me back to Grassroots, where once again I’m suddenly soaking in the sun or swaying under the stars. For this reason, I grab at any chance to see some of the best local music Ithaca has to offer. On May 8, the Gunpoets performed their first show of the season at The Haunt, welcomed back from a long winter by a vibrant crowd of Ithacans of all kinds.
The Gunpoets are a group whose primary style is hip hop, although they aren’t limited to it as their music can be a mix of a multitude of genres, drawing influence from all around. They do not shy away from experimentation, and with a seven-piece band (including vocals), they always go all out when it comes to their songs. Based in Ithaca, the music of the Gunpoets is heavily intertwined with the culture of the town, citing Grassroots, messages of social justice, and all-around positive vibes frequently. One of their albums, I-Town Remixes, took some of their most popular songs and reworked them to feature vocals and accompaniment from some of Ithaca’s most beloved bands (Sim Redmond, Donna the Buffalo, and The Horseflies, to name a few). With band members actively involved in the community and dedicated fans plastering their bumper stickers wherever they can, The Gunpoets in recent years have earned themselves quite a name and a reputation expanding over many generations of Ithacans.
The show on May 8 was opened by Stone Cold Miracle, a soul ensemble, and Sammus, a female rapper who will also perform during the HerStory event on May 30. Setting the mood with two distinct acts, The Haunt was full once The Gunpoets took the stage; people spilled in from the back dock to crowd the dance floor in anticipation of one of their well-known songs. The dark venue was illuminated by the beams of light and lasers overhead, constantly changing as they flashed in sync with the music, getting the crowd more and more excited. The audience ranged from high-school students to 20-somethings and plenty of middle-aged and older adults. This didn’t make the situation awkward; rather, I think it embodied what any typical Ithaca event is—a community of all ages.
The band fed off of the energy, excited to be performing for their hometown in their opening show of the season. This show was worth the long winter’s wait, as it proved to be no letdown. The crowd and the band were equally excited, and the atmosphere of The Haunt complimented it all. Despite measuring up to the performance I had hoped, the experience left me yearning for July … and the countdown to Grassroots began.