Students who aren't enthralled by the notion of spending theirFriday evening drinking cheap beer while listening to Sean Paul'snewest hit can rest assured that there are more options outthere.
One group of students, for example, spends Friday nightconsuming free coffee, hot chocolate, tea and of course free KrispyKremes!
The enticing promise of drink and donuts has helped CoffeeGrounds, a weekly series of laid-back performances at the MattinCenter, to become a mainstay on campus for people seeking arelaxing evening, sans-alcohol.
Students can visit Coffee Grounds to learn about up-and-comingcampus groups, or simply to learn that four free Krispy Kremedonuts, if consumed quickly enough, will make you hallucinate.
Aside from musical performances, a typical evening at CoffeeGrounds entails anything from a movie screening to a show from theEntertainers' Club, Hopkins' own vaudeville-esque collective ofjugglers and dancers.
Last Friday's series featured performances by Naked Jungle, adrum "n' bass group from Annapolis, and two student groups,Misamerica and The Deathburger Thing. The show was sponsored by theorganizers of Culturefest; as a result, there were more bands thanusual and the event relocated to the Second Decade Society RehersalRoom.
Despite the increased number of bands, a larger crowd, and alarger venue, Coffee Grounds still managed to maintain itslaid-back atmosphere for most of the night.
During the first performance of the night, Naked Jungle, twoevent organizers huddled behind the coffee machine and quietlydiscussed the musical lineup for the evening.
"First we have Naked Jungle, and then we have Misamerica. Last Iheard, there was a mariachi band playing after that," said seniorAmanda Johnson who has been managing Coffee Grounds for twoyears.
"No, I think it's a funk-jazz group," said George Molina, asophomore who is on the Culturefest committee.
Those audience members who arrived early enough to see the firstact, Naked Jungle, set up their equipment saw bassist Bryan Georgewaxing the bow to his electric upright bass, while drummer MikeKirby plugged in enough electronic equipment to make computer geekswet themselves.
These odd preparations would serve as a harbinger for the duo'seclectic style, which they describe as "intense tribal groove."Their sound ranged from high-powered drum "n' bass themes todarker, sulking ballads, with most of their songs incorporatingprerecorded digital beats and sound effects. It's like normalmusic, except they have to press the "stop" button at the end ofthe song.
The group was able to compensate for the absence ofdrummer/percussionist Rob Houck through their virtuoso talent andoriginality. One song even featured Kirby playing a sitar soundeffect on his drum pads, marking perhaps the first time in historythat a sitar has been played with sticks.
"We basically just appropriate rhythms from all over the world,"said George, "and try to make something new out of them."
Next up was Misamerica, a younger group that represented thelatest in college alt-rock. The trio formed last spring while allof the members were students at Hayfield High School in Alexandria,Va., though they now are spread all across the Mid-Atlantic.Hopkins freshman William Parschalk is the band's guitarist andvocalist. Geoff Seiler, a freshman at George Washington Universityplays bass and William's younger brother, Chris, who is a sophomoreat Hayfield, is on drums.
This performance marks the group's first time playing atHopkins, as most of their past shows have taken place in the D.C.suburb area. The group's sound seemed derived from the emo-rockthat is currently enjoying mainstream success, and guitarist andvocalist Parschalk described their style as being a "fusion of rockand post-punk." (Yes, apparently punk must have died at some point.Someone should call Blink 182 or Green Day and startinterrogating).
"It's tough to practice very often since we don't all go here,"said the elder Parschalk, "but it was really awesome how manypeople came."
Following Misamerica was indeed The Deathburger Thing. By thispoint, 1 a.m. had rolled around, and the group was ushered in by abevy of screaming intoxicated girls, holding signs with cleveradages such as "See Josh Blow. Blow, Josh, Blow," referring tosophomore alto saxophone player Josh Shapiro, and "Jake, I'mpregnant with Jon's Baby," a reference to bassist Jake Leckie andguitarist Jon Cylus, both of whom are sophomores. The group, whichfirst began practicing earlier in the fall, also includes drummerRon Boden, a freshman.
The Deathburger Thing came on stage dressed sharply in ties, andmanaged to get, almost immediately, the crowd on their feet. Thegroup started out with several upbeat funk-jazz grooves, laterslowing it down with some ballads that were reminiscent of thegolden days of the jazz standard. They then closed with twounlikely covers- funky versions of "Changes," by Jimi Hendrix andthe theme from the 80s TV show "Fraggle Rock."
The band members were excited to see the outpour of fansupport.
"The thing that made tonight magical for me was interacting withthe fans," said Leckie. "Laughing dancing, calling out our names- Iwouldn't have it any other way."
Such an enthusiastic conclusion to the show was unanticipated byJohnson, who is accustomed to a more laid-back setting.
"Normally after one in the morning, things start to slow down.This is probably the first time we've ever had so many people whoare, you know, obviously tipsy," she said, choosing her wordscarefully.
Johnson became involved with Coffee Grounds after her freshmanyear, when she realized that she was not a "frat party person."
"I like having a place where people can hang out with theirfriends while having a free donut," she said.
However, the act of getting the Krispy Kremes, which have analmost cult following, has proven to be quite a nuisance.
"I have to pass three Dunkin Donuts stores to get to KrispyKreme!" Johnson said. "But I suppose those aren't KrispyKremes."
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