As Ferdinand the Bull, Pitt students develop a love of the stage

As she hit the stage at Mr. Small’s Theater less than two weeks ago, Pitt student Lucy Clabby grabbed her tambourine and began singing over her fellow bandmates’ guitar and banjo strums.

“College seems to be the stuff of teenaged dreams, and looking back on them, I would do it all again, and I’d regret not a single thing,” she said.

As former Pitt student Dan Radin began his cello solo, the group of four — including Pitt students Nick Snyder and Evan Altieri — looked to be having a blast on stage at Mr. Small’s Theater. They make up the new band Ferdinand the Bull that focuses its songs on the ideas of youth and, well, just living.

“We are just singing about what we think,” said Snyder, a sophomore communications major who plays guitar and sings for the band. “Sometimes it’s about how the road is comfier than a warm home, sometimes it’s about unrequited feelings.”

Ferdinand the Bull’s folk-rock sound features acoustic guitar, cello, banjo and harmonizing vocals, a common setup among many popular artists including Mumford and Sons, The Avett Brothers and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. The parallels to these bands are clear, so it was appropriate that Ferdinand the Bull covered Edward Sharpe’s hit “Home” in its latest set. 

All four members have been playing music since a young age. Both Clabby and Radin have been playing music since they could talk or read. Snyder has been playing guitar since seventh grade and Altieri has been playing since eighth. Though the group came together only recently, their chemistry was instantly apparent. 

“The first time we all played together, it was a total ‘wow’ moment — just authentic,” said Radin, a first-year graduate student at Carnegie Mellon University who plays cello and sings backup in the band. Radin graduated from Pitt in April 2013. 

The group members met each other through Snyder, who was friends with Altieri in high school and who met Clabby and Radin at Radin’s old fraternity house. The quartet instantly hit it off when their conversations led to music. 

Although they’ve only played together for four months, the four already feel confident in each other’s abilities. Their show at Mr. Small’s was their first major live performance together. 

“We still have so much to learn, but it was really encouraging to see so many people come out to let us share our work with them so early in our career together,” said Clabby, a sophomore theater arts and English writing major who sings lead vocals for the band. 

“To almost sell out [Mr. Small’s] is unreal, especially after having been there a lot to see other shows over the years,” Radin said. “Acts like the Arctic Monkeys, My Morning Jacket and Ben Folds have played on that same stage. It was a huge stepping stone to play this showcase.”

Radin also serves as the band’s manager, earning him the nickname “Danager” from his bandmates. He’s booked more live shows for the coming months, some with other local bands, at venues including California University of Pennsylvania and the Altar Bar. 

All four members find they thrive while on the stage and agree that live music is especially important for musicians and music-lovers alike. Each member had their own take on performing live. 

“I’d have to say that my favorite thing about performing live is being able to share your music with other people who actually want to listen to it,” said Altieri, a Pitt sophomore who plays banjo, guitar and harmonica for the band and sings backup. “That and being cheered for — being cheered for is very cool.” 

“It’s the best way to listen to music,” Snyder said. “I’ve seen so many great bands, and the music just feels so honest live. You can feel what they’re feeling without having the medium of a laptop or iPod.” 

“Live performance is my favorite part of being in a band,” added Clabby, who is used to performing on the stage as an actress. “Performing is real, it’s happening right now, in front of you. When you’re on stage, you just have to give it everything you have.”

“Performing live is literally one of my favorite things in life,” said Radin, who has been performing all his life through various outlets including Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestras and the University of Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. “It’s where people connect, to say, ‘Hey man, I get you, you get me, we’ve shared this experience together and I understand where you’re coming from.’ That’s the power of music.”

While live performances are where Ferdinand the Bull feels it is at it’s strongest, the band is also planning on writing some new music and recording an EP in the near future.

“Ultimately, I want to have the ability in the future, to look back and say that I had a great time doing something I love — playing music,” Altieri said.

Radin agrees. For him, it’s all about forging connections between individuals. 

“We’re making music we think people will connect with — young people, dealing with school, love interests, growing up, unyielding optimism for the future,” Radin said. “We want to share this with anyone and everyone. We want to move you in any way we can.”

It’s the content of their music that makes the members of Ferdinand the Bull feel they can connect with their audience of fellow students. The popularity of well-known, similar-sounding bands shows there is obvious interest in this genre of music, and Ferdinand the Bull is hoping to catch a piece of that popularity. While the band feels the potential to release an album is promising, they all still agree in the power of the live performance. 

“I think it’s easier for me in some ways to open up emotionally in front of a bunch of people on stage than one-on-one,” said Clabby. “That’s what’s incredible about live performance. When you share that experience with someone, whether you’re on stage or dancing in the audience, you’ve created a uniquely beautiful experience for each other. There’s nothing like it.”