Photo Courtesy of Chloe Spencer
By Maggie Dickinson-Sherry, Music Editor & Kalliope Liaison ~
If you are at all involved in the State College live music scene, it is likely that you have heard of The Asylum. A student-run organization, Asylum Music Club is dedicated to organizing shows around the area, featuring everything from local artists to out-of-town acts. As an Asylum member and frequent show attendee myself, I was super excited to have a conversation this week with Chloe Spencer, the club’s 2021-2022 president. Spencer is also a senior majoring in Human Development and Family Studies & Rehabilitation and Human Services. She is originally from State College, PA.
Maggie Dickinson-Sherry: How were you first introduced to Asylum? What about it drew you in?
Chloe Spencer: The first Asylum event I went to was a karaoke night, and I didn’t even know what the club was when I showed up. After getting to know the club, I was drawn to Asylum because it made me feel like I belonged somewhere at Penn State. When I came in as a freshman, I felt like I didn’t really click with Penn State, but when I started going to shows and meeting all of these really interesting, artistic people, it drew me in and made me feel excited about college.
MDS: You said that you have been in Asylum all four years of college. In those four years, how have you witnessed Asylum grow and change?
CS: Asylum has changed a lot in the four years that I have been in it, and a lot of this has to do with the pandemic, unfortunately. I’d say that overall, the community has become smaller, but this means that it’s also more personal, which I think is a great thing. People are also more excited about the scene because the pandemic seems to finally, hopefully, be coming to some semblance of an end.
MDS: You are currently the president of Asylum. What influenced your decision to run for this position?
CS: I wanted to run for president because the club had been so amazing to me when I was younger, and it influenced who I am today. I wanted other people to be able to experience that. Running for president seemed like the best way for me to have a hand in continuing that experience for others and making sure that the community stayed up and running despite a lot of pandemic-related setbacks.
MDS: What do you believe has been your main goal as president this year? What efforts have you put forth to achieve this goal?
CS: My main goal has been to keep the community together, even though in-person activities are not always possible. We run bi-weekly meetings and try to have fun activities and conversations for people to come be a part of, and we also plan things like trips to Emo night at Stage West, playlist swaps, that kind of thing. I think we still have a great community and I’m hoping that it only gets stronger from here.
MDS: The pandemic has definitely had a negative impact on live music for the past couple of years. What struggles has Asylum encountered, and how have you guys tried to recover?
CS: It’s definitely been really frustrating to not be able to throw shows like we used to, especially because everyone is itching to get out and hear good music. But in place of that, we’ve tried to keep an active group chat going and have our weekly meetings to talk and get to know each other.
MDS: In your opinion, what does having a club like Asylum, dedicated to live music, mean for the State College community as a whole? What impact does it carry?
CS: I think that having a club like Asylum in our community opens a lot of gateways for small, local bands. Since it’s on a smaller scale, it allows more people to have their music heard. Also, it’s helped me to discover so much new music over the years, both local bands and more well-known artists that have been suggested to me. I also think that keeping art alive in our communities is extremely important, and this is a great way to do it.
MDS: What is your favorite Asylum memory from the past four years?
CS: I went to an Asylum “thrift” formal my freshman year. Everyone dressed up in suits and dresses that they had thrifted, and we just listened to music, danced and had a great time. It was back when Asylum had some pretty legendary houses that they threw shows at, and it was just an amazing time in my life, and also for the club as a whole.
MDS: One last question (just for fun): Who has been your go-to artists/bands as of late?
CS: I always love some Phoebe Bridgers! And I’ve been caught up on artists like Maude Latour and Chappell Roan, but recently I’ve just been shuffling my liked songs on Spotify and going from there.
Maggie Dickinson-Sherry is a third-year student studying English with a minor in women’s and gender studies. Besides her positions at KLIO, she works as arts coordinator for Kalliope, KLIO’s sister magazine. She is also a member of Trilogy, a THON organization here at Penn State. In her free time, Maggie enjoys hiking, curating playlists, writing, and collecting used books. After she graduates, she sees herself perhaps pursuing an MFA, and then subsequently retiring to go write stories on a typewriter in a small log cabin somewhere in Wyoming.