Bandersnatch Recap: redveil, Tom The Mail Man, and Laura Elliot

redveil (Photography by Joohee Na)

Written by: Jonah Weintraub

Photography by: Joohee Na

This past weekend, Syracuse’s University Union hosted the latest installment of their ‘Bandersnatch’ concert series. The event was headlined by redveil, with singer-songwriter Laura Elliot and do-it-all Tom the Mail Man as openers. And as always, Mixtape was there to cover the show.

First to hit the stage was Laura Elliot. The 23-year-old deviates from the hip-hop that we cover at Mixtape, but I’m more than happy to make an exception in this case. 

The N.Y. native’s fantastic songwriting was on full display throughout her set. Cuts from her debut album People Pleaser, such as “Blue” and “Middleman,” have candid, melancholy lyrics akin to the likes of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and the whole new generation of female indie artists. After she wrapped up, I asked Elliot where she sees herself in that landscape and what she thinks defines her work.

“I think I’m still trying to figure it out in a way. But I really do write from my heart and soul. Right now, I feel like that is what makes me distinctly me. I don’t know if it’s all that special, but it’s special to me.”

I feel comfortable saying that Elliot projects to be successful. Her words are relatable, her voice is poignant, and she oozes authenticity. Even if indie music isn’t your cup of tea, I would definitely recommend Laura Elliot’s work.

When I was done talking with Elliot, I returned to the main stage where Tom the Mail Man had begun his performance. For those unfamiliar with the Atlanta artist’s music, it’s best described as a genreless derivative of rap-punk.

Tom The Mail Man (Photography by Joohee Na)

Regardless of what you call it, the 25-year old had tons of energy. During his time on stage, Tom was frivolously running back and forth, jumping around, and even performing in the crowd. At one point, Tom straight up moshed with the audience, but he also had the fans sit down on the floor for a group sing-along of the track “Brown Eyes and Backwoods” off of his most recent LP Sunset Visionary, Vol. 2. 

He then finished out the set with “Last Night,” which features a beat interpolated with Foo Fighters’ timeless hit “Everlong.” This is just one example of how Tom has no shortage of influences from across all spheres of music. Yet, you may be surprised with where his current inspiration comes from:

“My current inspiration is a lot of Japanese rock, so J-Rock,” said Tom. “For now, Japanese Rock is the next shit.”

Given his medley of muses, it’ll be interesting to see where Tom goes from here. I still feel as if he has just scraped the surface of his potential, so I have faith that he can carve out a place in the wide world of alternative hip-hop.

Speaking of having a place in alternative hip-hop, the final artist to perform was none other than redveil. And from the second that he grabbed the mic, veil was in complete control. As someone who has followed him since his project Niagara gained traction in 2020, it was surreal to see him in this setting.

redveil (Photography by Joohee Na)

The D.C. native covered SO much of his discography over the set, never once (visibly) losing any steam. Whether it was standouts like “Campbell,” “5500,” or “Weight” from the aforementioned Niagara, or highlights such as “pg baby” and “mars” from his most recent breakout record learn 2 swim, redveil gave the fans what they wanted… and more.

Those in attendance were treated to veil rapping his brand new collaboration track with JPEGMAFIA, “black enuff”,” live for the first time ever. Fans also got sneak peeks into never-before-heard cuts off of his upcoming EP playing w/ fire. 

redveil politely declined to talk with the media following his performance, however he waited to the side and gladly took pictures, dapped up, and conversed with fans – as did Tom.

So all in all, I found the three artists at this edition of Bandersnatch to not only be infectious, genuine entertainers, but they were also down-to-earth people that took the time to engage with us and supporters – which is a testament to everyone involved.