Morrell Lounge was transformed into a chic café to kick off Homecoming Weekend with a coffeehouse showcasing students' talents last Friday. Café tables and an assortment of hot beverages and desserts lent an authentic coffee house flair.
The first act was Tauwan Patterson '06 on vocals and Trevor Macomber '06 on acoustic guitar. The pair introduced their act saying, "We're not cool enough to sing our own songs, so we sing other people's." They performed a talented, soulful rendition of the Cure's "Just Like Heaven."
Sam Farrell '05 and Pete Hastings '05 performed two original pieces. The combination of Farrell's smoky voice and incredible range with Hastings' guitar-playing skills was incredible. The first was their classy tune, "Sunshine," followed by the recently written "Home," with nice harmony and great imagery. Farrell sang of "concrete dreams and subway blues."
"What a hot voice that girl has. I'm dead serious," said host Anthony DiNicola '07.
Bowdoin's Unity Step team also made an appearance. What the group lacked in numbers, they made up for in precision, volume, and pure talent. They had a strong, solid performance that deviated from last year's choreography by incorporating more movement and complex motions.
Margaret (Munny) Munford '07 and Jonah Gabry '07 sang some "newish" songs, according to Munford. The pair, both on guitar, opened with the catchy, beautiful "Inadmittable." They sang, "But baby in the nighttime, I can't help but think about us. If my knees were strong enough I would crawl to your door." Next, they sang "Come Back to Me," a hopeful ballad, where Munford sang, "This ain't no tragic ending because it just began." Munford and Gabry finished with a new song titled "Hanging by your Bedside," which began as a slow, sweet melody and gradually built to a well-constructed climax. Munford's strong voice with a slight country twang brought a new sound to the evening. "These two are unbelievable. I have their CD [Dreams are Eminent] and it rocks me to bed every night," DiNicola said.
Cesar Aviles '04 did two poetry readings. He began with "Like You" by the El Salvadoran poet, Roque Dalton, in which Dalton wrote, "I believe the world is beautiful and that poetry, like bread, is for everyone." Aviles said he chose the poem because "it speaks to what I love about poetry." He then read an original piece, a passionate bilingual poem called "Libertad," which he said was "kind of sad, but important to talk about."
Next, DiNicola introduced J. Board and the Plagiarizers, which, he assured the audience, was "a band and not a lecture." Sophomore bandmates Charlie Ticotsky on guitar, Sam Chapple-Sokol on vocals, Alden Karr on vocals and tambourine, James Knuckles on bongo drums, and Jack Clancy on electric guitar told the audience, in true plagiarizing fashion, that they had an original song as well. They then launched into a well-arranged version "All for You" by Sister Hazel. They began the song by taking advantage of Chapple-Sokol and Karr's a cappella talents and then escalating into an amazing upbeat sound that had the audience clapping along.
Bowdoin's new gospel choir, comprising of Noah Detweiler '08, Renee James '08, Katie Mitterling '06, Jenna O'Brien '06, and Mara Partridge '05 performed "Lean on Me" and an energetic gospel called "My Desire." Partridge also brought in her sister, Julianna, for a beautiful "Partridge Family" duet.
BOCA wrapped up the evening with a remix of the Beach Boy's "Kokomo" sung by Megan Waterman '08 and Tommy Long '06 and featuring the addition of Tony Handel '07 with remarkable trumpet vocalization. The group ended with a danceable version of Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" sung by Emily Pendergast '05, with dazzling, powerful vocals.