Caitlin Coughlan, Collegian

On April 2, the basement of Van Meter was jam-packed with students supporting their peers performing acts ranging from stand-up comedy to interpretations of Led Zeppelin.

The Van Meter basement-gone-coffeehouse may have been serving terrible java, but the talent that took the stage was a delight to watch. Run by the Resident Life staff, the show was competently conducted for a casual evening of entertainment.

Beginning at 8 p.m., the hosts gave a warm welcome to the modestly sized crowd, its small size possibly due to contradicting locations noted on posters and fliers advertising the event. Initially, the coffeehouse was scheduled to be in Butterfield hall, the neighboring dormitory.

All of the acts that came out Wednesday had a time slot of approximately five minutes to showcase their potential. Fortunately and sometimes unfortunately, almost every performer exceeded their allotted time, resulting in a three-hour, act-after-act show. For the most part, the crowd remained patient and polite, giving each act due respect.

The performers that brought the most appeal and allure were freshman. Two first-year students, Ryan Harrington and Brendan Ryan from Braintree, Mass., needed no microphones when they performed two original songs. Their ban – Lollipop, Lollipop – has previously performed around campus.

“We have been friends since first grade, but I guess we first started playing together in the fourth grade,” said Ryan.

Lollipop, Lollipop has been inspired by bands and artists such as The Format, Jason Mraz, Bright Eyes and Nine Days.

“Last semester we performed a lot more than this semester. We try to perform as much as we can,” Ryan said.

Heather Waxman, a Van Meter resident with a large fan base, was another musical act that impressed the audience. Waxman opened her act with a break-up ballad, “Almost Lover” by one of her most beloved artists, A Fine Frenzy. After her graceful and tender rendition, she sung an original number, entitled “Sigh.”

When asked Waxman’s favorite artists and inspirations, she had a difficult time responding. “Oh, boy. Where do I begin? So many artists like Johnny Cash, The Beatles and even Rilo Kiley have inspired me. Everything comes into my music,” said Waxman.

Shifting from the Yamaha keyboard that belongs to Waxman and the acoustic guitars belonging to Lollipop, Lollipop, music major Jon Fratt charmed the audience with his smooth and tantalizing saxophone. He had the crowd snapping from the get-go, turning the bland basement into a real coffeehouse atmosphere. Fratt, a Maine resident by way of Brooklyn, is multi-talented. He also plays the piano and clarinet and recently began learning the cello.

“I usually perform just within the music department. Back home I play though,” said Fratt.

Dylan Murphy was by far the evening’s most natural and comfortable performer. The brooding Murphy performed a Dave Mathews Band oldie in which he invited the crowd to sing along. The second number was a cover of Sadcore artist Damien Rice’s “Cold Water.” He made the number his own with pressing vocals mingled with delicate and wry falsettos.

Wrapping up the night was The Telephone Company. The band urged the crowd to stand, and most complied. Others who decided not to partake in standing with the dancing crowd either sat and watched docilely or realized it was almost 11 p.m. and decided to leave.

When asked about the show, audience member Lunise Joseph said, “It was really good. It’s nice to see students perform because living in Southwest, I usually don’t get to see this kind of stuff. The turnout was big.”

Audience member Katie Davis had some suggestions for future Coffeehouse nights to come. “When the weather gets nice, I think it would be cool for the students to perform outside or something,” said Davis.

Overall, the basement of Van Meter was brought alive by the 15 or so performers. It wasn’t too bad of a way to spend the hump day.

Joe Stahl can be reached at [email protected].