Casey Tharp

– Jordan Jacobo/Review staff writer/photographer

Sounds of rock resonated from the Fred Meyer Lounge Thursday night as it was converted into a venue for the  Portland-based band The Empty.

The show featured Linfield alum Casey Frantum on the drums. He said the band is dynamic, straight-forward, guitar-driven psychedelic rock.

“You just have to hear it,” Frantum said.

Junior Renata Tirta, music director of KSLC, said the band’s sound was a definite reason for bringing The Empty to campus.

“My goal was to bring in the type of music that wasn’t offered last semester—a harder rock that is underrepresented in what Linfield usually offers,” Tirta said.

Frantum said The Empty differs from usual acoustic offerings, which normally focus on a singer, guitar player or pianist. He said The Empty is a different, more unified type of band, because the emphasis is on all parts of the band rather than on one highlighted aspect.

“We try to make things more dynamic and electric,” Frantum said. “There are more parts to the music. It’s not strictly vocal- or piano-or guitar-based; it’s more of a collaboration between four individuals.”

Frantum became involved with the eight-year-old band six months ago, when he was found by The Empty, who needed a drummer, on Craigslist.

He said the band plays in downtown Portland clubs, and at the end of the month it will perform in Salem.

“I think Portland has a really great music scene, people just don’t know about,” Tirta said.

Tirta knew Frantum and had seen The Empty play live in Portland. She said KSLC and Linfield Activities Board wanted the band to come because it is local and their sound is accessible.

Frantum, who still lives in McMinnville, was involved in the concert and jazz bands at Linfield as a music composition major and performed at several CatCabs.

“It’s interesting,” Frantum said. “I’ve been on and off campus since graduation, and I did a lot of CatCabs, but it’s different coming back here now to do a professional CatCab.”

He said he was looking forward to people seeing what he is doing now. Frantum said playing at Linfield is different than playing for the clubs in Portland; college audiences care more about music. They are really listening to the band playing the music, he said.

Tirta said she wanted to bring in a band that would excite that interest.

“Sometimes you have to bring in different genres to challenge what people think of live music,” Tirta explained. “It should be more varied, like the real variety of concerts out there.”