NPMC Halloween “Slasher Show” Shut Down 

The New Paltz Music Collective (NPMC) hosted their second Halloween event, The Slasher Show, were set to feature three live bands — Krucible, The GetOffs and The Schwegs — on Oct. 30 in the Student Union Building Entertainment Commons (SUB), when at approximately 8 p.m., University Police shut the event down on behalf of the Center for Student Engagement due to issues with moshing.

The show started at approximately 7:30 p.m., after decorating and setting up equipment for the first half hour. Candy bowls, handmade zines and NPMC stickers were spread across two tables, accented by the spooky string lights that spanned the walls. The promise of a costume contest brought many costumed attendees from all franchises. Eventually, the live music began with Krucible’s set, an alternative metal band that drew in around 40-50 attendees in the basement with many more passersby around the balcony of the first floor. 

Event planning began months prior to the day of the event, according to Nicola Kelly, the Head of Zine for the New Paltz Music Collective. “We really lucked out with getting the SUB [Entertainment Commons] for Oct. 30. That was such a big deal, because it was like, ‘Okay, that’s perfect. Night before Halloween.’ Not a lot of places are going to have shows then, and we’ve got this excellent space that we get to use,” she said, recounting the many steps the NPMC took in setting the event up. In addition to booking a space, the club also worked on advertising and forming the lineup, getting three bands composed of NPMC members, students, alumni and community members interested in playing. 

Kelly also noted that, “We had a lot of new members, a lot of new freshmen, new sophomores, a few juniors who were really dedicating a lot of their time to this show who were really stepping up and helping E-Board out, getting involved, which we were so grateful for, because that’s not something we’ve always had in semesters past.” The effort put in from the E-Board to the bands and regular members would all contribute to the creation of the Halloween Slasher Show.

The weekend(s) surrounding Halloween, fittingly dubbed as “Halloweekend,” brings about many live shows in bars, house basements and backyards. These events, along with regular college parties, offer students and residents many options to celebrate the holiday, with NPMC being part of these Halloween celebration festivities. What distinguishes their club’s event from these other shows is their accessibility to students. As Kelly states, “New Paltz Music Collective has always been a safe, sober space where people can just come and see live music for free.” Being a school-sanctioned event located on campus removes barriers for students who may not know about house shows or not be old enough to enter bars.

During the show, around five to seven attendees began to move forward into the empty space between the band and the audience, jumping around and colliding into one another. This activity is more commonly known as moshing. Defined by Merriam-Webster as “[engaging] in uninhibited often frenzied activities (such as intentional collision) with others near the stage at a rock concert.” Kelly described the activity as more of a “soft mosh.” It is a crowd event most commonly seen at concerts in both DIY house shows and larger arenas. Kelly noted that “We stopped them, because if someone falls or if someone hits their head, that’s a liability issue.” Kelly, who was taking photos at the time of the moshing, recalls club president Alyssa Sciarrone asking those moshing to stop.

This, however, became an issue with the Center for Student Engagement, who oversees and manages the Student Union Building. At approximately 8 p.m., University Police arrived and announced a shutdown of the show. When asked for a statement, one officer told The Oracle, “We were originally going to come here to tell [the students] to cut it out … Apparently, [students] were told that already. It wasn’t stopping. So that’s when we get involved. Once we arrived here, [the Center for Student Engagement] had told us they don’t want [New Paltz Music Collective] having the event, so it’s shut down on their behalf.”

When asked to describe her initial feelings, Kelly recalled that, “It was such a punch to the gut, because it’s like ‘How do we go on from this?’ This was such a huge thing.” The New Paltz Music Collective E-Board members provided statements as well as timelines to the police before cleaning up and shutting the show down. 

Speaking to the cancellation, a member of the Krucible, who elected to stay anonymous, expressed that, “Some of us were pretty disappointed and some of us were a bit furious. There was a lot that went into preparing for this concert. It’s been in the makings for longer than a month. Everyone in this club, even some not directly involved, helped out so much.”

Later that night, the New Paltz Music Collective posted a statement to their Instagram story, expressing their sorrow for the night, though they quickly turned it into a positive expression of gratitude. “We are upset at the events that happened at our Oct. 30 show. This is not what we wanted nor expected to happen. In spite of all of this, we want to thank the student body for their amazing turnout and their support in the aftermath of all of this.” 

The other two bands, The Schwegs and The GetOffs, were unable to play their sets but will still continue to perform elsewhere. The Schwegs recently debuted their album “Half Baked,” which is out now on all streaming platforms, and The GetOffs will be performing at The Ashtray on Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m. Information on both bands can be found on their respective Instagrams: @the_schwegs and @thegetoffs.band.

“For the people who attended, thank you all so much for your guys’ support. That was an amazing debut show as Krucible, and the best show any of us individual members have ever had the honor to play in,” the band expressed. Their information can be found on Instagram @krucible_official.

As of Nov. 5, the investigation and communication between the Center for Student Engagement and the New Paltz Music Collective is still ongoing. The Center for Student Engagement has not provided The Oracle with a statement.