by Antonio Zodda ’14
Since the construction of the Breen Center for musical and dramatic performances and the development of the fine arts curriculum over the course of the last decade, the Ignatius artistic community has experienced a renaissance inside and outside of the classroom.
The revival is especially apparent for student musical groups.
From Joey Sap to Pluto Reinstatement Committee, many recent alums have made their mark on Ignatius through their bands. The torch for this year’s senior class has been passed to Keyhole Gallery, kickstarted by bassist Matt Nicolay ‘14 and drummer Jackson O’Brien ‘14 two years ago.
Vocalist Anthony Monaco, a sophomore at Buckeye Schools, soon joined and since then, the band has gigged at local clubs Peabody’s and The Foundry, as well as Crocker Park and the Sullivan Gymnasium at St. Ignatius.
The band cites influences that span across the rock genre for their sound, including Primus, Phish, and The Who. Their repertoire allows them to start shows off with popular hits, then appeal to the crowd at hand. O’Brien said that they try to appeal to what their audiences will know.
“First we play a song that everyone can get into, like ‘Killing in the Name’ by Rage Against the Machine,” O’Brien said.
Aside from playing gigs, Keyhole Gallery also writes original songs.
Nicolay said that the group’s writing process as “very informal.”
“One person comes up with his part, and the rest of the band just figures the rest of the song out,” Nicolay said.
Monaco is the primary lyricist, though all three contribute to the music.
Keyhole has already made a name for itself, attracting a tribute band called Osteo Genesis Imperfecto led by football star Matt Colella ‘14 and former bandmate Ryan Hargis ‘14.
The band is active on Facebook and Twitter and has demo sales available upon request.
