Paul Obie on Opening Summer Sendoff
Picture this: it’s your very first Summer Sendoff because you’re a senior in the class of 2023. Your first Sendoff was canceled due to the novel coronavirus and so was your sophomore Sendoff. For your third Sendoff, you were studying abroad (sometimes three times is not the charm). So, that leaves you with Summer Sendoff 2023 as your first and only opportunity to enjoy Kenyon’s famed end of year festivity. Guess what? It’s pouring rain. There’s an email sent to students earlier in the day warning that there may even be thunderstorms and the event could be postponed, but you gather your friends, dawn your rain boots, and rally. Because you will not miss your first and only Sendoff, and your name is either Maddie Vonk or Shea Humphries, and you’re the WKCO Blog member who agreed to interview Sendoff’s opening act, Paul Obie.
It was a pleasure to interview Paul Obie, and we would have gladly done so rain or shine. If you saw the documentary the blog posted a few months ago, then you may recognize us. Shea was behind the camera and Maddie was the redhead in front of it. We saw first-hand the glory of Paul Obie’s LCD Soundsystem cover and had the pleasure of interviewing the lead singer, Jackson Oberhauser after the show. At this point, nobody knew Social House would be performing at Summer Sendoff, or that Paul Obie would be opening for such a big act. The band, initially comprised of Jackson (vocals), Jonah Meisels (drums), Tommy Cody (keys), and Colin Bowling (guitar), was simply excited to have won Battle of the Bands. On this rainy day, months later, Paul Obie is bigger and better than ever.
Their set included about five songs, ranging from indie rock to jazz, with Katya Naphtali on the saxophone and vocal harmonies from Ellie Fallon, Zoë Casdin, and Kendall Sommers. Katya explained how fun it was to join the band for a night and perform on such a large stage: “It was like the best stage and microphone system I’ve ever been on.” We asked Jackson how it felt to make his dreams come true and incorporate all his friends into the set. A big smile crossed his face as he said, “Oh man, that was the best part. I did manifest that. Well, it’s not really manifesting if you ask all of them.” There was, unfortunately, one noticeable absence: Sally Vogel. When we interviewed Jackson during Battle of the Bands, he hinted at a possible performance of the triangle by Sally. “We couldn’t find a triangle! Not one on campus!” Jackson exclaimed, “We’re a real square campus…”
Nonetheless, Paul Obie persisted. They played “Dance Yrself Clean” by LCD Soundsystem once again, which was an absolute crowd-pleaser, as well as a few lesser known hits. They ended their set with a lovely song incorporating all eight performers, featuring some wonderful harmonies by Ellie, Zoë, and Kendall. There was something for everyone. When Social House graced the stage a few minutes later, the crowd was warm and excited all thanks to Paul Obie. Jackson’s final remarks to us were full of gratitude: “I just want to thank all of my friends for agreeing to deal with all of the raucous I caused. Coming to like six rehearsals a week and all of them being relatively enthusiastic about it. The set was awesome.”
The set was awesome. Thank you to Jackson and Katya for talking to us. And stay tuned for our official Social House interview!
— Shea Humphries and Maddie Vonk