Only a spotlight lit the stage as the band members took their places. Above them, a black banner read, ‘The Last Internationale’ in thick red letters.

The audience of fewer than 10 cheered loudlyas the band came into sight. Despite the small audience at the Westcott Community Center, the crowd’s consistent loud applause filled the room.

Heads bobbed and feet tapped as the band opened with ‘Winter Soldier,’ a folk song driven by acoustic guitars and lead singer Delila’s empowering vocals. Her body swung with the music as she gripped the microphone. When songs reached their climax, she pulled away from the microphone and shouted the lyrics as loud as she could.

The dwindling number of fans in the crowd would have discouraged many bands, but The Last Internationale took it in strides and embraced the fans in the close intimate space. The crowd cheered acceptingly when Delila brought attention to a forgotten line in ‘Where Have All the Flowers Gone.’

‘Want me to write out the lyrics for you?’ lead guitarist Edgey joked.

The members played the first half of the show on acoustic guitars, pausing between songs to share stories about their lives and the songs they’ve written. Edgey shared the origination of lyrics for an unreleased song he recently wrote. He told the audience he was happy to see the few fans that showed up and said it proved art is still alive.

The technical disturbances during intermission caused people to shout out in the spirit of Halloween weekend: ‘It’s the ghost of the community center!’ Edgey banged his amp with his fist to dispel the reverb buzzing around the room.

When the band took an intermission between sets, Larry Hoyt, concert coordinator, invited them to share cookies and refreshments with the audience. This informality suited the personality of the audience as people mingledand reminiscedabout favorite bands and concerts. Before returning to the stage, Edgey unexpectedly invited Hoyt to the stage to perform a few acoustic songs of his own, which the crowd greeted with enthusiasm.

The second set of the evening introduced the blues as Delila played a bass guitar nearly exceeding her height. The line between band and audience quickly blurred and all of the bodies in the room swayed with the music. During one song, Edgey stopped playing and gave Delila a quizzical look.

‘What is that?’ Edgey asked. ‘It’s likea little bird, we’re playing the blues, you got to turn (the bass) up.’

Hoyt said he was surprised about the lack of attendance at the show, but that this experience is common. Bands have to learn to deal with it and convert the fans who do show up so that the next time the band comes into town, they can double the size of the crowd, he said.

Yet the band seemed unfazed by the small audience as they grooved through the finale. The Last Internationale walked offstage winded from their performance. The band held nothing back, so the audience got their money’s worth.

Delila closed the show with a simple statement: ‘We’d definitely like to come back to Syracuse.’

jtinfant@syr.edu

Published on October 30, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Joe: jtinfant@syr.edu | @joeinfantino