Looking for some local live music on a weekend? Check out Late Notice, a Raleigh-based band formed by NC State students. The group mostly dabbles in alternative, rock, pop and funk music.
Late Notice has six members: Emerson Bruno, a fourth-year studying mechanical engineering and Chandler Kosterman, a third-year studying biological sciences, both sing for the band and play guitar. Yates Weaver, a fourth-year studying civil engineering, plays keyboard and Jared Marino, a fourth-year studying genetics, plays bass. Finally, drummer Madi Schoninger is a third-year studying political science and singer Aidan Flynn is a third-year studying communication.
Most of the members have been friends for years, some having played music together as far back as middle school. Over summer 2021, Bruno, Schoninger and Flynn started a music group, and when they had the chance to play at a birthday party in August, they were joined by Weaver, Kosterman and Marino and formed their band with just a week to prepare.
“We’re sitting there, 30 minutes before our show, and we’re like, ‘We need a name for our band,’” Flynn said. “[Schoninger] is like ‘How about Late Notice?’ And we were all just like ‘Yeah, that’s perfect.’ … After that show we had another girl come up to Madi and ask ‘Can you play at my birthday party next weekend?’ So now we play just about every Friday and Saturday.”
Late Notice has played shows in Raleigh, Wilmington, Boone and Asheville. The group has played multiple times at Trailer Park in Raleigh, a small venue about 10 minutes away from campus.
“The first Trailer Park show was just something we threw out, it was just us playing, anybody could come,” Schoninger said. “And now the Trailer Park has gotten to the point where they have four bands coming from Boone and Wilmington and Charlotte. … And it kind of just started from us, just one of our friends, playing at his house.”
The band’s shows at Trailer Park were inspired by the live music culture and the house shows in Boone, North Carolina.
“We are just having fun up there and we all genuinely love each other, have a deep friendship, deep connection,” Flynn said. “I think people can feed off that when we’re on stage, and that’s what makes the Trailer Park so special, is that was the first place that we really showcased that.”
When people are at its shows, Late Notice wants the crowd to let loose, be themselves, get into it and have fun.
“We kind of got our feet on the ground playing at fraternity shows, birthday party shows and small stuff, basically whatever we could get traction with,” Weaver said. “Coming back into the second semester, we are a little more experienced now with our connections. We started to branch out to more venue shows.”
The band also recently played at The Pour House Music Hall and Record Shop in Raleigh. They played a 45-minute set with seven original songs and three covers.
Kosterman said music provides him an outlet.
“I’ve been playing guitar since I was 8 or 9, and it’s just always been a release for me,” Kosterman said. “Like an escape into music, especially playing with other musicians, adding the guitar, drums, bass, keys, singer, you feel the energy. It’s very satisfying.”
Late Notice cited some of its biggest musical influences as The Black Keys, Dr. Dog, Mac Miller and Anderson .Paak.
“I think [when] playing in a group, I like the comradery aspect, and then playing alone, I relate to the music,” Bruno said. “I used to play when I was younger and my dad is a musician, and I finally came around to it my freshman year of college. It’s rooted in me and it gave me a sense of purpose.”
Be on the lookout for music from Late Notice on all platforms coming soon. To get updates on the band and its shows, follow its Instagram.
“I’ve been playing music all my life, and it’s really cool to just be able to be up there and just have everyone vibing out with you,” Marino said.
