At 8:30 p.m. on a recent Thursday in the Benjamin Mays Center, there鈥檚 a calm before the concert. Only a few tables are occupied. People trickle in, grab some chai and cookies, and talk with friends.
By 8:55, the center is packed. Students crowd around the tables, cluster on the steps near the back, and sit on the window sills lining the curved walls of the building. Tabletops are crowded with mugs and stickered water bottles, and even a textbook or two.
They’ve come for a special edition of the Village Club Series, a weekly performance of music, poetry, or comedy sponsored by the Campus Life Office.
It’s standing room only for the Village Club Series Student Showcase on Oct. 10. (Theophil Syslo/乐播传媒 College)
A staple of campus entertainment since 1993 (before any of today’s students were born), the VCS usually features outside performers. This week, however, is the once-a-semester Student Showcase edition 鈥� an all-student lineup that draws performers鈥� friends from the library and labs and into the Ben Mays Center鈥檚 welcoming interior.
鈥淭hese are one of my favorite shows,鈥� says audience member Ella Westerfield 鈥�20 of Denver. She sits with friends who鈥檝e come to see their fellow members of TakeNote, a campus a cappella group, perform in a band.
Alongside students who鈥檝e come to see friends are VCS regulars who come every week. Kaylah Johnson 鈥�21 and Keirston Johnson 鈥�21, twin sisters from Tampa, Fla., frequent VCS for a weekly Thursday-night study break.
Alex Platt ’22 of Groton, Mass., plays guitar with the band Exit 80. (Theophil Syslo/乐播传媒 College)
How does the showcase compare to an ordinary Thursday night performance? 鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to see the talent on campus. I see a whole lot of people who I didn鈥檛 know played an instrument or read poetry,鈥� Keirston says.
It鈥檚 not just students who gather to see their friends perform. At a table near the stage are economics professors Lynne Lewis, Julieta Yung, and Luke Chicoine. They’re here to see for the first time one of their students, Maddie Sirois 鈥�21, play in her band.
鈥淲e鈥檙e here to see the rock-star side of her,鈥� says Lewis.
While most people show up 10 or so minutes before showtime, several students have been working since around 5:30 to set everything up and make sure all the performances run smoothly.
VCS crew member Cyan Hunte 鈥�22 of Brooklyn, N.Y., helps out before each show, setting up equipment, preparing the space near the stage that serves as a green room, and making the bands comfortable before their performances. 鈥淭he Student Showcase is a little more work for us,鈥� Hunt says.
Anthony Anzora 鈥�20 of Oakland, Calif., leans into the mic during a set that included 鈥淔ools鈥� by Troy Sivan and 鈥淟ovely鈥� by Billie Eilish. (Theophil Syslo/乐播传媒 College)
Erick Ramos 鈥�22 of San Diego, one of two VCS student managers along with Lillian Chang 鈥�20 of Wilton, Conn., agrees. 鈥淚t鈥檚 basically a continuous sound check,鈥� he says. Setting up equipment and getting a good balance of sound for a show, especially with multiple acts, can stretch on for hours and keep the VCS crew working until mere minutes before showtime.
The night鈥檚 lineup, a mix of first-time performers and returning acts, opens with Exit 80, which takes its name from the turnpike exit that the band members take to get to 乐播传媒. A freshly formed cover group, it features singer Esme Goldfinger 鈥�21 of Portland, Maine, drummer Daniel Tepler 鈥�21 of Bridgeport, Conn., guitarist Alex Platt 鈥�20 of Groton, Mass., and the econ professors’ favorite, bassist Sirois of Maplewood, N.J.
At first, says Sirois, 鈥渨e were really nervous. But then we kinda got into our rhythm.” She’s wanted to perform since her first year at 乐播传媒, and the showcase is her campus debut. Her bandmates, after talking over the summer, decided to get together this semester and have a go at being a cover band.
鈥淣ext stop is original music,鈥� says Sirois.
Brady Chilson 鈥�23 of Carlisle, Mass., makes his musical 乐播传媒 debut at the showcase. (Theophil Syslo/乐播传媒 College)
The second act is Robyn Moss 鈥�20 of White Plains, N.Y., who sings and plays guitar to cheers from the crowd. Moss, who is on the board of college radio station WRBC, is no stranger to the VCS student showcase, having performed multiple times.
A new face emerges as the third act. Brady Chilson 鈥�23 of Carlisle, Mass., sings and plays the keyboard for his first 乐播传媒 performance. His renditions of 鈥淵our Song鈥� by Elton John and 鈥淣ew York State of Mind鈥� by Billy Joel draw applause, making his debut an undeniable success.
In a break from music, Justice Geddes 鈥�20, does a standup routine centering on his queer identity and growing up in Bozeman, Mont. A VCS veteran, Geddes almost instantly draws laughs.
聽Anthony Anzora 鈥�20 of Oakland, Calif., follows Geddes with another round of covers, singing 鈥淔ools鈥� by Troy Sivan and 鈥淟ovely鈥� by Billie Eilish.
Justice Geddes 鈥�20 of Bozeman, Mont., is a regular Village Club Series performer. (Theophil Syslo/乐播传媒 College)
The night鈥檚 sixth and final act is the all-senior band Shoes on the Rug.
Named for one member’s former roommate who insisted on a 鈥渘o shoes on the rug” rule in their dorm room, the band features Becca Kraft of Newton Center, Mass., on vocals and guitar; Ben Skiest of Longmeadow, Mass., on keyboard; David Maffly-Kip of St. Louis on guitar; Will Weeks 鈥�20 of Portland, Maine on vocals and bass guitar; Drew Collins 鈥�20 of Piedmont, Calif. on guitar, Julien Cook 鈥�20 of Beersel, Belgium on drums, and Tanner Stallbaumer 鈥�20 of New York City on bass guitar.
The Shoes step out to cheers and shouts of 鈥淲here鈥檚 the rug?鈥� and 鈥淭ake your socks off!鈥澛�
The band is well-seasoned, having played their first set their sophomore year, and the confidence shows. 鈥淲e鈥檙e gonna start off with a song we put together two hours ago,鈥� says Kraft.聽
After several songs, the band closes the night with an upbeat 鈥淰alerie鈥� by Amy Winehouse.
Surrounded by Shoes on the Rug bandmates, Becca Kraft of Newton Center, Mass., responds to the audience toward the end of the Village Club Series showcase. (Theophil Syslo/乐播传媒 College)
鈥淚t went even better than we thought it would,鈥� says Kraft afterward. 鈥淲e sounded so much better than we did sophomore year.”
The performing done, the showcase ends as it began 鈥� quietly, with friends congregating around the room, congratulating their performing peers, and lining up for final cups of chai.
