Ben Liddle

Artists Dana Castronova, a third year Industrial Design major, and Chris Baldauf, a third year Applied Networking and Systems Administration major.

Castronova and Baldauf clearly remember the first song they ever played together: “Sink, Florida, Sink” by Against Me!. With that in mind came the memory of how they chose the name Before, During, and After.

“It was our first open mic night and we had no idea what we were going to be called. But everybody else had a cool name, so we were looking around for ideas,” said Castronova. Baldauf then chimed in, “And lo and behold, in the center of the table, there was an advertisement for wings before, during, and after a game.” Although the name has humble beginnings, Baldauf joked that they gave it a deeper meaning.

Before, During, and After plays a variety of genres, ranging from pop to alternative rock. Armed with a pair of acoustic guitars and Castronova’s smooth voice, they dominate the stage with both covers and originals. With their choice of catchy songs and campy commentary, their performances made me feel as if I had just seen Jack Johnson play. Before, During and After seems to stick to the upbeat, keeping things light and having fun while providing something contagious for their audiences.

“Dumb Pop Song,” originally by Lucky Boys Confusion, is their favorite cover to perform. Their setlist also includes countless covers of ’80s and ’90s throwbacks, including “Centerfold” by the J. Geils Band. However, Castronova and Baldauf also enjoy writing music, mostly for their other bands. Sometimes they test their creations out at open mic nights before moving them to other venues.

Previous to forming Before, During, and After, Castronova and Baldauf were both members of other bands. Castronova’s band with his high school friends, called My Favorite Enemy, still plays periodically. Unfortunately, Balauf’s other band, Eddie Always Wins, is on permanent hiatus. “Eddie always won but Eddie’s losing right now because Eddie is not together anymore,” cracked Balauf.

When asked why they enjoy playing, Castronova was quick to reply, “Chicks would dig us!” However, Baldauf clarified, “Well, not necessarily RIT chicks, just chicks in general.”

Before, During, and After has played in many venues from CAB’s Open Mic Night at the RITz to the Commons to events of their own. “We honestly didn’t even envision being called to play shows after we played that first open mic night. We just went up there and played because it was fun,” explained Balauf.

Although Before, During, and After has no set performances at the moment, they will definitely be performing at the next CAB Open Mic Night at the RITz.