Courtesy of EBoard

Last Saturday, members of the student body gathered in Jack Magee’s Pub to witness a soulful concert by musician Chance Emerson. Attendees even contributed to an impromptu collective song-writing effort.

The performance was Emerson’s second at the College since his first appearance at the annual “Friend of a Friend” festival in the spring of 2023. Both events were championed by the Entertainment Board (E-Board), the group of students responsible for organizing events aligned with campus interests.

The Pub was transformed into a kaleidoscope with various projected polygons gracing all three stories of the establishment for the event. The audience waited in anticipation for Emerson, who emerged equipped with a guitar but without shoes, suiting his down-to-earth demeanor. Rye Hughes ’28 noted the audience’s palpable appreciation of Emerson’s humble nature.

“He didn’t seem super above us all. Some artists seem like they are above their crowds. He seemed in tune with us and knew what we wanted,” Hughes said. “I thought it was cool how he was thinking about Bowdoin and knew we would like a folk acoustic set.”

From songs in his own extensive discography like “Honey” and “House We Share,” to a heartfelt cover of Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” Emerson belted his heart out and provided short anecdotes about the inspiration behind each song to transition from track to track. The meaning of his songs ranged from driving through Death Valley to sweetening coffee with honey to the unfortunate breakdown of his car while driving through New England. As the audience inched closer and closer to the stage and Emerson experimented with looper pedals, he eventually turned his attention to the spectators.

“There’s a mystique around songwriting that does not need to exist,” Emerson said. “A good song is just a contrast.”

For his final ballad, Emerson crafted a spontaneous Bowdoin anthem.

In response to his invitation, students rattled off aspects of the College’s identity: the northern lights, Vacationland, polar bears and more. Through Emerson’s efficient mentorship and rhyming, the group effort came to fruition.

“It was really impressive. He took all our words and made an actual song,” said Hughes.

Bringing experiences that are enriching to the student body, like Emerson’s act, is E-Board’s mission, co-president Oliver Clachko ’26 explained.

“Chance sings these things that are very from the heart, but he’s not scared to interact with the audience and talk about his process,” Clachko said. “Again, I think that is something that we don’t get all the time at Bowdoin, so we thought it would be a good idea to have someone like that.”

Emerson reciprocated appreciation for the College.

“For some reason, this campus is receptive to music that isn’t ‘the loudest.’ People want to hear folk music, and that’s really unique and special,” Emerson said.

Having to travel cross country for the performance due to a recent relocation to Los Angeles, where he will embark on a West Coast tour in November, Emerson also reflected on the role other community members played to ensure his attendance on Saturday.

“My car broke down on the way here, and the people who lent me their car came from a Bowdoin family, and they said ‘Go U Bears!’” Emerson said.

Clachko thought the event was a success.

“We’re really happy how it turned out,” Clachko said. “We had good engagement, and we really like the other shows that have been put on by Student Activities and WBOR so far in the fall. I think we were able to bring a lot of live music back to campus in a way that has been unique.”