Shiffley Shakes Things Up at the Westcott

Article By Bronte Schmit

If you have yet to see Shiffley perform, chances are you’re doing things wrong. The indie band opened for Strange Talk at The Westcott Theater on Nov. 1st and brought the type of energy that excited even a Sunday night crowd. The audience was what you would expect for an end of the week concert, with small clusters of people scattered around the all too visible theater floor as they waited to hear a band that the majority of attendees had already seen times before.

The intimate setting of the night provided an apt atmosphere for the boys of the band as they conversed between songs with audience members, many of whom vocalist Alex Ganes had previously attended Syracuse University with.

Formed in Long Island, N.Y., three of Shiffley’s member’s graduated from the same high school. While drummer Bryan Contreras and Ganes originally played around with other bands, after finding bass Shaune Killough online and adding in Alex Jenks on keyboard, they came to form what one could call a craigslist success story. Will Rosati later joined in on guitar.

The last time Shiffley performed in Syracuse was back in October of 2013 when they opened for Twenty One Pilots in Goldstein.

The band intermingled their set with proclaimed indie and synthetic rock original songs along with a kickass cover of “Crazy in Love.” It wasn’t just their talent that kept the audience singing along to their original, “Cry,” nor the music video for which was filmed right in here in ‘Cuse, but rather their character that made the spirit lively. Given that everyone had a “front row seat,” fans were still jiving to the sound and swaying their arms as Shiffley later switched over to the acoustic section of their set.

While some might have assumed the small numbers to make for an awkward situation, the energy itself packed the room. With a band that is going places, it also insinuates a future hipster moment in being able to say you shared that kind of experience. And the fan base easily agreed, with more than half the audience not bothering to stay past their performance. Sorry, Strange Talk, you were outshined.