Droppin'thebombonPhillv

"It was really weird," said Jen Stoltzfus, a sophomore who was hypnotized that evening. Dale K. certainly brought smiles to the faces of a lot of stressed students not ready to get back into the swing of spring 2003. "He was really funny and highly entertaining," said Student Government president, senior Bernadette Hazel.

The enthusiasm continued into Friday night, Jan. 17, when CAP board presented Casino Heist, an interactive bi-tech show who left two Cabrini students with a free trip for two to the Bahamas. After a series of obstacles and mind-teasers Justin Yon, a freshman, worked bard to win a trip. Audience member, Colleen Hoy, also won a trip by merely supporting the event.

The Welcome Week events ended with a New Year's Eve, Eagles themed dance on Saturday, Jan. 18.

"Welcome Week is a great beginning to a semester of awesome opportunities for the student body to get involved and to have fun for free. There js still a Jot they haven't seen yet," said CAP board president, senior John Verdi. Stay tuned for more free events; you never know what you may win.

KELLYFINLM ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

"We're unapologetically pop," drummer and producer Art Amici said about Love Bomb's self-categorized "rock/pop" sound. "What we have is a really good formula. We're an entertaining band, but there's also substance," Andrew Fullerton, the band's guitarist and resident songwriter, said.

FulJerton defines pop music as being "catchy." He describes Love Bomb as a rock band that can play pop tunes. The balance of 80s metal, British rock and American pop/rock brings a "rounded" sound to the table, he said.

"I have a pretty good [grasp] of what the buying public wants," Amici said. "The music is calculated, but it's real."

The band is a year-old based out of Upper Darby, Pa., where sophomore and vocalist Matt Robinson, bassist Nate Malara, Andrew Fullerton and Art Amici reside. They are currently working on their first record, a collection they describe as "in the middle."

"It gets sterile after a while and you need to play it for an audie n c e , "

Fullerton said. Their first public appearance was January 2003 at Jocelyn's in Media, Pa. This came after to months of rehearsals, three days a week; 15 songs were the result. Each one is produced and "worked individually" so that it has the ability to stand out without the support of the rest of the record, Amici said.

The band is not a party to playing shows for the sake of an audience. "Philadelphia does not support their live acts the way they should," Amici said. This is the primary reason for their rare public appearance.

They cited stereotypes as another. Live acts are often labeled club bands, Fullerton said. "We don't want to be another $1.50 Miller Lite kind of band."

"We're like a well-oiled machine," Amici said. They established roles; no one fights over anything besides the superiority of the Rolling Stones or the Beatles. The band's bonding workout and rehearsal schedule has helped develop a camaraderie Amici compares to Fox's Making the Band.

Amici acts as the band's industry liaison, calling in favors and contacts in a fashion he likens to the mafia. He can also be seen as the lead in the production Tony and Tina's Wedding, playing at the Venice Plaza on 18th and Snyder in Philadelphia.

Amici, Fullerton and Robinson were members of the band Premium prior to their involvement with Love Bomb. Amici described their song "More Than This," which can be heard on The Bum, as "the aftermath" of the Premium's break up. After the disbursement of some members Amici described as "inappropriate," Malara, a musician Fullerton and Robinson knew from high school, was brought in to "fill in the sound."

"Nate was the walk-on Don Rickles character," Fullerton said.

"For all of us, this is what we do," Fullerton said. "If we don't do this we're not going to do anything. There's nothing else we want to do."

For more information about Love Bomb, visit their website at www.cornerband.com, and be included in the band mailing list. Email the band at LoveBomb_updates@yaboo.com