Weggalo Star
VBR's University of Rock
We are five guys in a band. We play music in the attic of our house. We hang our mics from the ceiling. We play from our hearts and sing from our souls. We are Weggalo Star.
It's great being in a band, but it's even better when everyone in the band is one of your best friends. The bonds of Weggalo Star were forged back in 2007, when all members were residents of Cornell's Just About Music program house. The group played music together sporadically, gradually coming into themselves as musicians; all members were always writing or recording original compositions, and experimenting with different musical genres. By Sophomore year, the interests of all five seemed to align perfectly. The group of friends shared a house with some others off campus, and the attic was quickly transformed into a cherished practice space. The final line-up included Jordan Bernstein on lead guitar; Dave Vieira on vocals, guitar, and keyboards; Brian Han on vocals, guitar, keyboard and bass; Ricardo Villareal on drums; and Ariyan Basu on vocals, guitar, keyboard and bass. All members equally contribute to the writing of the songs, a process that keeps everyone focused and passionate. At its core, Weggalo Star plays rock music, meandering into the realm of electronic and experimental pop music. Whatever you call it, if you can't feel the energy exploding off the stage at a Weggalo Star show, you might not have a pulse.
You can check out their MySpace here.
It's great being in a band, but it's even better when everyone in the band is one of your best friends. The bonds of Weggalo Star were forged back in 2007, when all members were residents of Cornell's Just About Music program house. The group played music together sporadically, gradually coming into themselves as musicians; all members were always writing or recording original compositions, and experimenting with different musical genres. By Sophomore year, the interests of all five seemed to align perfectly. The group of friends shared a house with some others off campus, and the attic was quickly transformed into a cherished practice space. The final line-up included Jordan Bernstein on lead guitar; Dave Vieira on vocals, guitar, and keyboards; Brian Han on vocals, guitar, keyboard and bass; Ricardo Villareal on drums; and Ariyan Basu on vocals, guitar, keyboard and bass. All members equally contribute to the writing of the songs, a process that keeps everyone focused and passionate. At its core, Weggalo Star plays rock music, meandering into the realm of electronic and experimental pop music. Whatever you call it, if you can't feel the energy exploding off the stage at a Weggalo Star show, you might not have a pulse.
You can check out their MySpace here.
Band Bios
Brian Han (Hans)
Sophomore, College of Arts and Sciences
College Scholars Major - Sound Design
My real name is Brian Han, but I have assumed the nickname Hans as a way to distinguish myself from the enormous number of Brians who inhabit this overpopulated earth. I am certain I am the only Asian on this entire globe who goes by this name only because I have eliminated the two others. I currently live in Los Angeles, California, where I am subjected to severely perfect weather and a golden tan. The first instrument to touch my hands was the violin at the tender age of 4 while I was on a trip to the 1500's. I witnessed 7 years of Paganini's finest works from his satchel. I have lived out my life since then making me 512 years old, but fortunately, Los Angeles is home to the most refined botox technicians. My network of friends in high school included close ties to some corporate record labels, which opened my world up to the nuances of music production. I have picked up the bass, guitar, taiko, and drums along the way and have incorporated all these elements into my songwriting. I am a College Scholars major and have chosen to study sound design. I use my academic studies as a tool to further my own creative projects and I am open to collaborate with artists around me.
Sophomore, College of Arts and Sciences
College Scholars Major - Sound Design
My real name is Brian Han, but I have assumed the nickname Hans as a way to distinguish myself from the enormous number of Brians who inhabit this overpopulated earth. I am certain I am the only Asian on this entire globe who goes by this name only because I have eliminated the two others. I currently live in Los Angeles, California, where I am subjected to severely perfect weather and a golden tan. The first instrument to touch my hands was the violin at the tender age of 4 while I was on a trip to the 1500's. I witnessed 7 years of Paganini's finest works from his satchel. I have lived out my life since then making me 512 years old, but fortunately, Los Angeles is home to the most refined botox technicians. My network of friends in high school included close ties to some corporate record labels, which opened my world up to the nuances of music production. I have picked up the bass, guitar, taiko, and drums along the way and have incorporated all these elements into my songwriting. I am a College Scholars major and have chosen to study sound design. I use my academic studies as a tool to further my own creative projects and I am open to collaborate with artists around me.
David Vieira
Sophomore, College of Engineering
Major: Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Computer Science
Being born in Portugal to a World Cup winning father, I was bred to become a vicious and unadulterated athlete and made it to the national team by age 12. Before ever playing my first game with them, however, I was stolen by a group of Greek pirates in order to sabotage my home country's chances of winning the 2004 European Cup championship, which was hosted in Portugal. Locked away in a very delicious smelling gyro-specializing restaurant cellar, I was forced to simply watch the games with my new rat friends as my teammates lost to Greece not once, but TWICE! While the whole world was in shock and awe as the underdog snatched away the trophy from our deserving hands, I could only weep gently, finding comfort through the only thing available to me at the time: a six-stringed musical instrument that had been thrown away as trash in that cellar. This is when I picked up the guitar, moved to New Jersey, and started my new life as a nerd who liked rock music.
Sophomore, College of Engineering
Major: Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Computer Science
Being born in Portugal to a World Cup winning father, I was bred to become a vicious and unadulterated athlete and made it to the national team by age 12. Before ever playing my first game with them, however, I was stolen by a group of Greek pirates in order to sabotage my home country's chances of winning the 2004 European Cup championship, which was hosted in Portugal. Locked away in a very delicious smelling gyro-specializing restaurant cellar, I was forced to simply watch the games with my new rat friends as my teammates lost to Greece not once, but TWICE! While the whole world was in shock and awe as the underdog snatched away the trophy from our deserving hands, I could only weep gently, finding comfort through the only thing available to me at the time: a six-stringed musical instrument that had been thrown away as trash in that cellar. This is when I picked up the guitar, moved to New Jersey, and started my new life as a nerd who liked rock music.
Ariyan Basu Sophomore
College of Arts and Sciences
Tentative Major: Music Anthropology
I was born on the back of an elephant in a bakery in India. Being an infant too young to understand the dangers of heights, I fell off and grew up with the baker's family learning to make naan and curry. However, I longed for a better life and decided to make a holy pilgrimage to Mecca. I traveled across the desert balanced on the head of a Arab silk trader's head, cleverly disguised as a turban. After several wrong turns and near death encounters with sand gnomes (that's another story, ask me about it sometime!) I arrived in France. There I lived for four years, where I learned Greek and befriended a mischievous little monkey named Pippin, who introduced me to music and guitar. Sadly, I left this great friend and mentor at the airport when I immigrated to New Jersey; they confiscated all my bags, my shoes, my fresh deck of Uno cards (how did they expect me to make friends on the plane??), and monkey. One day, I hope to be successful enough with this band to open my own mango stand in the country.
College of Arts and Sciences
Tentative Major: Music Anthropology
I was born on the back of an elephant in a bakery in India. Being an infant too young to understand the dangers of heights, I fell off and grew up with the baker's family learning to make naan and curry. However, I longed for a better life and decided to make a holy pilgrimage to Mecca. I traveled across the desert balanced on the head of a Arab silk trader's head, cleverly disguised as a turban. After several wrong turns and near death encounters with sand gnomes (that's another story, ask me about it sometime!) I arrived in France. There I lived for four years, where I learned Greek and befriended a mischievous little monkey named Pippin, who introduced me to music and guitar. Sadly, I left this great friend and mentor at the airport when I immigrated to New Jersey; they confiscated all my bags, my shoes, my fresh deck of Uno cards (how did they expect me to make friends on the plane??), and monkey. One day, I hope to be successful enough with this band to open my own mango stand in the country.
Jordan Bernstein (A.K.A. Figo)
Sophomore
Human Development Major
My name is Jordan Bernstein and I need your help. The members of this "band" kidnapped me a few years ago off the back of a latke truck and forced me to learn guitar and listen to pop music. I'm only 6 years old, my manly appearance only came about after continual forced growth hormone injections and the occasional spoonful of olive oil. I'm only allowed out of my holdings for practice and to sing for them as a fictional persona named Roseanne when they're liquored up. If I ask for freedom, they make me sleep out in the cold (why don't I just escape...weird). Anyhoo, I think I hear Dave meddling outside my holding space, he's the worst of them :)
Sophomore
Human Development Major
My name is Jordan Bernstein and I need your help. The members of this "band" kidnapped me a few years ago off the back of a latke truck and forced me to learn guitar and listen to pop music. I'm only 6 years old, my manly appearance only came about after continual forced growth hormone injections and the occasional spoonful of olive oil. I'm only allowed out of my holdings for practice and to sing for them as a fictional persona named Roseanne when they're liquored up. If I ask for freedom, they make me sleep out in the cold (why don't I just escape...weird). Anyhoo, I think I hear Dave meddling outside my holding space, he's the worst of them :)
Ricardo Villarreal
Sophomore
Biology Major
My name is Ricardo and I am from Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. My friends call me Fish but don't ask why.
Sophomore
Biology Major
My name is Ricardo and I am from Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. My friends call me Fish but don't ask why.
P.S.- Enjoy the music, and send the Ithaca SWAT team on a t-cat as soon as possible!
