As the first beat of Microbes Mostly’s “Spuda Spuda Spiderbite” reverberates through Sacred Root Kava Bar and Lounge, the crowd reflects the dynamic alternating kick and drums through instant collisions with one another, forming an energetic moshpit. At Angry Mom Records, a similar dynamic occurs when Milk Cousin, a DIY punk rock band, delivers a fast-paced rhythm, vibrating through the audience, consisting of many youth members.
Among several DIY bands attracting a youth audience is Microbes Mostly, a garage rock band formed in 2022. Three of the band’s members, Eve Lampugne, Phillip Adrian, and Evan Land, met while studying abroad in Christchurch, New Zealand. There, they began playing in a practice space called the Groove Room, at a club called TuneSoc. They returned to Ithaca and met Aidan Kaplan-Wright at a concert, in which he played bass for the Cold Sweats band and wore an eccentric bunny hat that would eventually be the design for the band’s first t-shirt merchandise.
Milk Cousin is a DIY punk rock band with three members, who play guitar, drums, cowbell, and the tambourine. They have performed in various venues in Ithaca, even under bridges, and tend to reach a significant youth audience.
Ithaca’s punk scene has strived to provide concerts to an all ages audience thanks to a collaborative effort between music promoters, bands, venues, and visual artists. Both Milk Cousin and Microbes Mostly emerged after the launch of Ithaca Underground (IU), a non-profit organization that was formed to organize all ages shows, providing opportunities for punk and experimental music musicians. IU has set a precedent, which can be observed by the great number of youth attendees at local punk concerts.
In Ithaca, local bars that host concerts showcasing a variety of musical talent are limited to those older than eighteen or twenty-one. Yet, local promoters like IU, Practice At, and Electrozone have worked to provide music to all ages through coordination with venues like Sacred Root, Angry Mom Records, CSMA, and Hair Color Art. Bands like Microbes Mostly and Milk Cousin, who have a substantial youth audience, say they enjoy these opportunities to perform for a crowd of all ages.
“The young people really bring in this town, they show up and go crazy,” said Philip Adrian, drummer and singer for Microbes Mostly. When the band began performing shows, they observed that the age restrictions of bars refrained their friends from attending. Local venues, like Sacred Root, have overcome those age barriers.
The accessibility of these shows to the youth allows them to enjoy the local music scene. Milk Cousin member Andy says that these shows can also be a source of inspiration for young people. He hopes to channel his passion to the audience and make it more accessible.
“[Making music] doesn’t have to be super brainy, you don’t need technical skill, you just need to walk through it and that’s all,” said Andy. He hopes to convey the energy of the music to mosh pit. Indeed, these bands also perform with the objective of watching the crowd come to life through the mosh pit. “It’s just fun to look out and be like, oh, yeah, this thing that I’m doing makes people really want to dance and go crazy,” said Adrian.
Moshing can be characterized as intense movement and collisions between audience members. The mosh pit’s ability to create a sense of connection between the audience provides a sense of unity among them. In addition, the moshing experience can be physically liberating for attendees, allowing them to release emotions. Studies have shown that moshing also releases endorphins and adrenaline, inducing pleasure and excitement, which constitutes a euphoric high. “Let’s move around. Let’s stop worrying about all the stuff that’s in our head and just bump around,” said Evan Land, guitarist for Microbes Mostly.
Despite its perceived aggressive nature, these bands want to ensure the mosh pit is a safe and inclusive space for all those who participate. Spencer, an Ithacan resident who attended a concert at Sacred Root, where Microbes Mostly performed, observed that the crowd engages in collective responsibility, stopping to pick up individuals who fall and ensuring the pathway out of the pit is available to those who wish to exit.
For Cole, a youth audience member of a concert at Sacred Root, these shows can allow young people to expand their musical taste. Attendees also enjoy finding one another and feeling like they belong to the scene’s community.
Milk Cousin member Cam believes mosh pits are crucial to providing a safe space for young people who need to release strong emotions and anxieties. “I think that being in a mosh pit is like an insane release and thrill, and I think it’s cathartic,” said Cam’s bandmate, Andy. Through their music, bands like Microbes Mostly and Milk Cousin vibrate rhythms and sounds that cultivate an intense yet intended-to-be-safe mosh pit, thanks to the unwritten rules of moshing.
