Alt-rock band to play what may be final show at New Brookland Tavern this Friday
From high school open mic nights to headlining The New Brookland Tavern, you could say Rejectioneers’ role in Columbia’s music scene has been a dream come true for vocalist Ben Walker.
Starting as a blend of Walker’s solo project, Ben Walker Radio, and members from other disbanded groups, the band got together as a group of friends in 2007 and began recording in 2009.
Even before Walker started playing at age 13, he had an active curiosity for music.
But now Walker is grown up — he’s an office worker by day and a performer by night.
After all, when your band consists of a manager of a screen-printing business, a financial planner, a construction worker and a preschool teacher, it’s pretty clear no one is willing to give up their passion for music.
“[Playing music] seemed like something I had to do,” Walker said.
When listening to Rejectioneers, there’s no doubt their hearts belong to the ’90s. From the power-pop sound of Jimmy Eat World to Weezer’s early indie rock albums, the group has found a comfortable groove in their music that complements their roots while paving the way for something new.
“I guess the easiest answer is alt-rock — our influences are all over the place,” Walker said. “I guess we like the realness of the music that was written by the [same] people who perform it.”
Because every member of Rejectioneers is from the Midlands area, they have made a significant connection with other local artists who share their eagerness and dedication to music. Walker explained Columbia is in a sweet spot — the city is just big enough to support an active music scene that’s still local enough for the artists to connect.
“It’s a small enough town that the people are really tight knit,” Walker said. “You really get a lot of support from other musicians.”
Rejectioneers have become an integral part of Columbia’s scene, which makes it even more of a shame that this weekend’s show may be their last.
They’ll headline Friday at the New Brookland Tavern, playing alongside Ivadell, Half Measures and Animals. It’s their final performance before their drummer moves to Indiana, but Rejectioneers are not necessarily breaking up.
“It’s probably best to present [this show] as the last thing we do for a while,” Walker said. “Just so we can sit back and figure out what the next stage looks like, which may honestly be nothing. We don’t know.”
Columbia isn’t always the most bustling city, but according to Walker, that’s part of what makes it so friendly to new talent.
“People are interested in new music because they haven’t heard it before — they show up [to shows] because they’re curious and there’s not a whole lot to do around here,” Walker said. “Columbia really fosters growth musically just because there’s a need for something exciting.”
Rejectioneers can comfortably call the Midlands their home, and they aren’t the only ones.
As time goes on, fledgling bands have grown up in Columbia. As they age, they eventually have to leave home base venues like the New Brookland behind.
This cycle of new and old is part of what makes Columbia’s music scene welcoming to new acts. Soon enough, we’ll see a new group with the same passion for music we see in Rejectioneers today.
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