Over winter break of last 

year, 
while 
the 
University 

of Michigan was quiet in an 
empty Ann Arbor, LSA senior 
Ben Schechter was sitting on a 
sofa 8,308 miles away, in Cape 
Town, South Africa, listening to 
bluesy rock duo Abbey Grange 
play a set. Schechter was at The 
Waiting Room, a bar/balcony 
combination, which is the place 
to see live music in Cape Town. 
Situated 
on 
the 
building’s 

second level with a metal railing 
over which patrons can look at 
the street, the 60-ish-person-
capacity venue recalls Bourbon 
Street in New Orleans.

“I was the one of the only 

people there who were unrelated 
to the band. Just a random guy 
sitting on a couch, but I enjoyed 
every minute of it,” Schechter, 
a former photographer for The 
Michigan Daily, said. “I’m really 
looking forward to their future.”

He said that about every 

band during our conversation, 
but rather than coming off as 
rehearsed or customary, his 
words dripped with genuine 
excitement 
every 
time. 

Schechter, 
graduating 
from 

the University in December 
with 
a 
degree 
in 
General 

Studies as well as a certificate 
in 
Entrepreneurship, 
is 
the 

founder 
and 
sole 
employee 

of What The Sound, a music 
website dedicated to exposing 
up-and-coming artists to new 
listeners.

“I’m curious when I listen to 

bands what their story is, why 
they make music and whatnot,” 
he said. “I was on the East 
Coast visiting my sister, and I 
thought why not reach out to 
some bands.” Following that 
initiative, What The Sound built 
a catalogue with upwards of 30 
artist interviews over the course 
of the fall 2015 semester.

Interviewing Abbey Grange 

in Cape Town is far from What 
The Sound’s only international 
venture. The website’s homepage 
boasts a black-and-white world 
map with smatterings of yellow 
geotags congregated in South 
Africa, 
Australia, 
Western 

Europe and across the United 
States, signifying the locations 

of artists.

“One of the big things when 

I’m listening to these bands is 
that I want to see them live, 
but then, ‘Oh, they’re from New 
Zealand or from Russia.’ I think 
it’s really cool to lay out that 
information so when people go 
to What The Sound, they can 
think, ‘Oh, I wonder who he 
interviewed in L.A.?’ … press 
on L.A. pin, learn that way,” 
Schechter said.

An 
admitted 
lover 
of 

geography, 
Schechter 
hopes 

the visual guide to What The 
Sound’s 
interview 
archive 

encourages 
a 
boundaryless 

music scene:

“Depending 
on 
where 

people are from it can change 
assumptions about the area. If 
you didn’t think hip hop could 
exist in the middle of Australia, 
press on Canberra and check 
out these two female hip-hop 
artists, Coda Conduct. It’s a neat 
way of exploring new music, 
geographically and seeing it 
rather than pressing a drop-
down menu.”

Prior to What The Sound, 

Schechter was an intern at the 
Blind Pig after a semester of 
follow-ups with the Pig’s talent 
buyer, Jason Berry.

They 
still 
talk 
often, 

Schechter said, and two years 
after finishing his time at the Pig, 
Schechter finds himself working 
with Berry again, this time on 
“What The Sound Presents,” a 
series of showcases featuring 
local talent. The majority of the 
shows have happened at the Pig, 
save for singular shows in New 
York, Chicago and Hamtramck. 
What The Sound presented its 
first showcase in February and 
expanded to four showcases this 
semester, with the possibility of 
additional shows in November 
and January.

“In February I was like, OK, 

I know all of these musicians,” 
Schechter said. “Maybe not 
personally, but I listen to them 
and know their music. So, I 
figured I might as well reach 
out on a local level and put on 
shows.”

The criteria for landing a spot 

on a What The Sound lineup is 
simple: 1. Schechter’s got to dig 
your sound and 2. You’ve got to 
have the potential to grow. 

Last Friday, What The Sound 

presented a showcase of five 

hip-hop acts — four from Ann 
Arbor and one from Detroit, 
headlined by the rapper Munch. 
The first two acts of the night, 
Dude Madison and Broccoli, are 
both students at the University. 
The former earned his spot on 
the bill through hard work and 
being assertive and, of course, 
Schechter digs his sound. The 
latter, a buddy of Schechter’s, 
goes by many aliases and wore 
all black while serving up a cool 
Travis Scott cover. The third 
act, 
Awkward 
Theory 
from 

Detroit, played Ann Arbor for 
the first time.

The fourth act on the bill 

consisted of Ann Arbor rapper 
Isaac Castor and local band 
Arch Hotel. Friday’s showcase, 
Castor’s first with a live band, 
wasn’t the 21-year-old’s first set 
at the Pig.

“I’m 
trying 
to 
take 
my 

standard live rap set and do 
something different with it and 
make it creative and fun for the 
audience,” Castor said in a phone 
interview. “I think it went really 
well in that regard. Everybody 
brought out a lot of friends. I 
had a lot of fun. I definitely 
prefer to play with a live band. I 
don’t know if I’ll ever go back to 
performing without one again, 
so hopefully we can keep this 
ensemble going.”

After developing a taste for 

2Pac, Jay Z and OutKast as a 
child of the ’90s, Castor began 
writing music in Naperville, 
Illinois at the age of nine. He 
released his first mixtape six 
years ago and plans to release 
a new EP before the end of the 
year. In April he opened for 
rising rapper Lil Dicky (who 
played Hill Auditorium with Vic 
Mensa the same month).

But 
the 
highlight 
since 

dropping that debut mixtape in 
high school? A feature in XXL, 
one of hip hop’s most prominent 
magazines.

“That was a goal I’ve had for a 

long time that felt really good to 
accomplish,” he said.

Schechter discovered Castor’s 

music 
while 
SoundCloud 

surfing, and then the XXL 
write-up, which led to him 
eventually offering Castor the 
fourth slot in Friday’s show.

“(Ben) 
asked 
me 
a 
long 

time ago if I would perform 
at (Munch’s) headlining show 
and, Munch is the homie, so I 
was obviously down for that,” 
Castor said. “(What The Sound) 
definitely wanted us to do our 
part for promotion, but that’s 
cool because I would rather 
perform with people I know 
in the crowd, familiar faces 
who know my lyrics. That’s 
encouraging. What The Sound 
took good care of us, so shoutout 
to Ben for that.”

Castor met Munch (real name 

Maher Hachem) last year during 
Ann Arbor’s annual summer 
concert series, Sonic Lunch. As 
Castor played with a band for 
the first time, Friday was also 
a first for Munch — his first 
headlining show. A senior at the 
University, Munch grew up in 
the suburbs of Detroit, but his 
vibe is decidedly West Coast, a 
quality which carried into his 
2015 album, Beaches.

“A lot of inspiration for 

Beaches 
came 
from 
that 

weather, 
the 
energy, 
that 

laidback vibe,” he said in a phone 
interview earlier this week. “I 
really wanted to carry that over 
and add deeper meaning to my 
project — I didn’t want just a 
bunch of songs. I wanted a story: 
highs, lows, chill, upbeat songs.”

Friday’s 
showcase 
wasn’t 

Hachem and Schechter’s first 
time 
collaborating 
in 
the 

production of a live show; while 
Schechter interned at the Pig, 
he helped Munch gain exposure 
by getting him to open for 
Futuristic this past April.

“(Prior to last Friday’s show), 

Munch was really persistent 
about doing a big thing at a 
local venue, so I gave him the 
opportunity, and he did a great 
job,” Schechter said. “It was like 
a family reunion for Munch. He 
brought out his whole family, 
kind of seemed like a wedding 
at one point. I loved his energy; 
it was a good vibe.”

Munch’s 
tenacity 
toward 

exposure is also present in 
his artistry. In developing his 
upcoming eight-track album, 
expected out before the year’s 
end, Munch approached the 
project from a place of honesty, 
looking for his true self to come 
through in the music. In terms 
of Friday’s show, the “family 
reunion” 
vibe 
Schechter 

touched on was a direct result 
of Munch’s efforts to push 
the boundaries of his own 
marketing, seeing how many 
people he could get out to the 
show.

“(The turnout) was more 

than I was expecting,” Hachem 
said. “I didn’t go in with any 
crazy 
expectations. 
It 
was 

really amazing to have people 
who honestly support you. No 
one had to do that.”

“No 
one” 
encompasses 

not just fans who came out 
to the showcase to see local 
hip hop, but also Schechter. 
The 
admiration 
Schechter 

exudes toward the artists and 
bands he is passionate about is 
reciprocated by gratitude; both 
Castor and Munch had nothing 
but praise when it came to 
Schechter’s involvement in the 
showcase.

“He’s the biggest homie Ann 

Arbor has to offer,” Munch said. 
“The guy is creating amazing 
opportunities for local artists, 
committing 
his 
time 
and 

efforts to give them a chance 
to shine in the community. He’s 
so professional and appreciates 
the artists. And that’s the best 
part of working with What The 
Sound: he shows respect to 
everyone.”

On 
What 
The 
Sound’s 

promotional breadth, Castor 
praised the emphasis on a 
University-centric show: “They 

really came after the college 
crowd better than a typical 
hip-hop promoter would for 
an Ann Arbor show. Including 
University students on the bill 
such as Munch, Broccoli and 
Dude Madison so they can 
invite their friends and going 
after that college base is a 
smart move.”

Schechter has ambitions to 

push What The Sound beyond 
the city of Ann Arbor. After 
graduating in December, he 
hopes to find a job that allows 
him to continue What The 
Sound on the side. Interviewing 
more artists (when he has 
the time to transcribe) and 
continuing to promote shows 
locally 
while 
also 
looking 

to expand to other markets 
are key pillars of Schechter’s 
vision. 
Specifically, 
What 

The Sound is in the process of 
setting up a second Chicago 
showcase as well as one in 
Bloomington, Indiana, home of 
Indiana University.

The showcases go through 

a plethora of iterations before 
Schechter lands on the final 
version of a lineup. Two months 
before a show, he locks in the 
date with the venue and about 
half a month later, promotion 
begins. Moving beyond posters 
on campus, What The Sound’s 
third showcase of the semester 
will have a Snapchat geofilter 
Friday night.

“I feel like I learned a lot 

while interning for the Pig: 
which shows do well, which 
don’t and how to build a good 
lineup,” he said. “The last four 
years of learning about the 
music scene in Ann Arbor, the 
past artists who have played 
here and the artists currently 
becoming musicians here have 
taught how to formulate a good 
bill.”

As he did last Friday, before 

Munch performed, Schechter 
will 
walk 
onto 
the 
Blind 

Pig 
stage 
tomorrow 
night 

to introduce another What 
The Sound headliner. This 
week, that’s The Stellars, a 
two-person indie-rock band 
which will also consist of eight 
live band members for the 
showcase.

“I really enjoy saying this 

was my idea from the start; 
these are the bands I chose, 
and next thing you know there 
are 250 people at the show,” 
Schechter said. “Knowing that 
I’m the one who organized, 
promoted and advertised the 
show, it’s really rewarding to 
see the show happening, really 
great music being played and 
people really into it. A lot of 
people know that I do this, and 
they say it’s really cool, and I’m 
so appreciative of that, but to 
actually see the night go well 
and know that I put it together 
is really rewarding.”

 AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily

Dude Madison performs at the Blind Pig as one of the musicians promoted by What the Sound.

AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily

What The Sound showcased five local hip-hop acts Sept. 16 at the Blind Pig

SOUND
From Page 1B

2B — Thursday, September 22, 2016
the b-side
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Girl and the Goat: The toughest 

reservation in Chi-town

FOOD COLUMN

This 
summer, 
a 
friend 

managed to snag us a hot 
Monday evening rez at Chicago’s 
famed Girl and the Goat. “Top 
Chef” winner and University 
of Michigan alum Stephanie 
Izard opened up the lively spot 
in Chicago’s West Loop in 2010, 
and reservations there have 
been near-impossible to come 
by ever since. So when my 
friend offered up a chance to 
finally try out one of Chicago’s 
most talked about dining spots, 
I couldn’t pass it up.

At 5:45 on a weekday, the 

place was still packed. The 
rustic interior buzzed with the 
energy of diners eager to try 
Izard’s acclaimed dishes. This 
energy felt palpable as soon as 
we walked in and were warmly 
greeted by the hostess. She led 
us to a counter spot for two that 
was practically located inside 
the bustling open kitchen. 
While flustered at first by 
this oddly isolated yet invasive 
seating arrangement, we were 
compelled by our proximity 
to the flurry of kitchen staff 
gracefully plating an array of 
tasty-looking dishes. Though 
the spot placed us in the heart 
of the restaurant’s activity, it 
still felt cozy enough for an 
elevated dining experience. And 
I was especially grateful later 
when faced with the challenge 
of choosing from the wide 
selection of unconventionally 
appealing menu items. I was 
overwhelmed to the point of 
a near panic attack when our 
server showed up to take our 
order, until I glanced over 
and my attention was caught 
by a plate of hamachi crudo 
beckoning me to try it.

Luckily, the restaurant serves 

up small plates with big flavor, 
so my friend and I selected four. 
Unlike traditional menus, the 
categories were divided into 

vegetarian, fish, poultry and, of 
course, goat dishes. Rather than 
focus on size, plates are offered 
according to content and flavor 
— allowing guests to build a 
customized meal with diverse 
options.

One of the must-try options 

are the freshly baked breads. 
We started with the olive bread 
and were promptly served a 
warm, crusty loaf studded with 
green olives and accompanied 
by a tangy whipped feta spread 
and dish of garlicky olive oil 
to dip the bread in. Not only is 
the bread just plain good, the 
cognizant act of selecting it 
from among four different bread 
options speaks to the careful 
intent with which the menu 
is crafted. Izard deliberately 
pairs ingredients and presents 
them to us to consume wholly 
and consciously. No food item or 
ingredient is used imprudently 
— as should be the case. And 
even the bread is no exception. 

Now 
that 
I’ve 
spent 
a 

paragraph just discussing the 
bread, I’ll move on to the bulk 
of our meal, which included 
the hamachi crudo and roasted 
cauliflower. The cauliflower 
was roasted to perfection and 
paired nicely with crunchy pine 
nuts and pickled peppers. I’m a 
huge fan of mint, and though 
I’ve never thought to serve it 
with a roasted vegetable, I was 
pleasantly surprised at the pop 
of flavor in each bite.

This unexpectedness is one 

of the primary elements that 
draws praise from customers 

and 
critics 
alike. 
Izard’s 

ingenuity when it comes to 
combining flavors we aren’t used 
to trying together rejuvenates 
the dining experience by adding 
an element of surprise and 
subsequent pleasure. The tart 
caperberries and salty, crisp 
pork belly of the hamachi crudo 
were balanced by the neutral 
flavor and velvety texture of 
thinly sliced raw fish. Both 
the fish and pork belly, while 
seemingly rich, indulged our 
appetite with a delicate ease 
that exemplifies the culinary 
craft at its finest.

Without overwhelming our 

palates, Izard deftly transforms 
a variety of ingredients and 
flavors that please us because 
we’re 
so 
unaccustomed 
to 

enjoying them together. Her 
restaurant 
provides 
a 
safe 

space for us to explore our 
epicurean curiosities. And the 
results don’t disappoint. It’s no 
wonder that Girl and the Goat 
started out as successfully as 
it did and that it has retained 
its mass appeal since. While I 
rarely allow myself to buy into 
the hype of such places, Girl 
and the Goat’s buzz is well-
deserved.

Girl and the Goat is a true 

testament to what relentless 
hard work from a chef like 
Izard and a bold perspective 
can infuse into the dining 
experience and into the food 
industry. Even my practiced 
indifference, in the face of 
expectations built up to a 
near impossible standard of 
being met, was shattered with 
the first bite I took of Izard’s 
famed food. Though ordinary 
is far from what you get when 
you dine at Girl and the Goat, 
you’ll be easily transported 
into a world where even the 
most inconceivable dishes are 
presented and devoured with 
the utmost normality. Which 
is why, six years after the 
restaurant’s opening, I’m here 
singing its praise.

SHIR AVINADAV
Daily Food Columnist

At 5:45 on a 
weekday, the 
place was still 

packed.

