2008 Woodie Awards
More Banjo!: Sierra Leone show dazzles
Kris Miranda and Jim Kelly
Issue date: 3/16/07 Section: Arts & Entertainment
- Page 1 of 1
Once more, the Sierra Leone Aid Project-led by Fiona Braslau '10, Kirsten Duda '09, David Amadu '07 and Peter Steinour '07-raised money and awareness for a noble cause (insecticide-treated mosquito nets to stave off malaria) in the best possible way: showing off some of the best musical talent on the Hill.
The a cappella portion of the program was expectedly awesome with its tried-and-true mix of world, pop, and jazz standards. EVE-enjoying the return of two upperclass members who spent last semester abroad-finished the first set of the evening with "Red Umbrella," a Korean song about a couple meeting over the color of their rain gear that conveyed just as much ebullience as their "Fly Me to the Moon," which the audience was more familiar with (probably).
The Megalomaniacs were their typically jovial selves-missing no sonic power despite a net loss of three members since fall-including in their set the two songs from their Colby Live performance, Frou Frou's "Let Go" and Justin Timberlake's lauded opus, "What Goes Around Comes Around." As usual, the tricky background voices drew a gradual laugh of recognition from the audience: the slow clap of a cappella. This time the percussion was just Mr. Timberlake's name-surprisingly, Justin hasn't tried this in his own work.
Last of the a cappella groups to perform was the Sirens, who were, alas, the only group to stick to their roots and wear goofy a cappella clothes. These are necessary not only for their inherent goofiness, but because without them it would be too easy to get lost in the airy harmonies of songs like "One Moment More." It seems appropriate to say something about Homer being right, but we'd rather compare them to an audible roundhouse kick to the face (just without facial hair).
Two student bands rounded out the program. Hanna Pickwell '10, late of Powder & Wig's [The Foreigner], proved herself a woman of many talents indeed as the banjo-toting lead singer of The Headrights, with Sei Harris '10 on cello and Ben Bernstein '10 on guitar and piano. Relative newcomers to Colby's music scene, they deftly shifted gears mid-concert from the Megs' high-powered pop to a folk blend that was melancholy and merry in turns. As we write this article, we're actually listening to [Remain Grateful], the EP they sold after the show.
Capping off the night was the recently assembled and aptly-named Quartet-Andy McEvey '09 on drums, Nick Baranowski '09 on upright bass, Kerry Whitaker '08 on keyboard, and Peter Matson '09 on guitar-with a set of jazz and funk standards. Instrumental virtuosity has rarely looked and sounded so easy, even from these recognizable Colby music veterans.
Something else to be said for all Colby performers, is that they even make mistakes fun. Moments into their second song, the Megs cut themselves off at a look and uncomfortable laugh from their own Lane Phillips '10. In the Headrights' opener, Harris surprised even himself when he plugged in his cello mid-song for what seemed the second but turned out to be the first (as evidenced by a sudden swell of sound) time. Both blunders turned out to be less than such, receiving good-natured laughs. And both groups went on being great.
The a cappella portion of the program was expectedly awesome with its tried-and-true mix of world, pop, and jazz standards. EVE-enjoying the return of two upperclass members who spent last semester abroad-finished the first set of the evening with "Red Umbrella," a Korean song about a couple meeting over the color of their rain gear that conveyed just as much ebullience as their "Fly Me to the Moon," which the audience was more familiar with (probably).
The Megalomaniacs were their typically jovial selves-missing no sonic power despite a net loss of three members since fall-including in their set the two songs from their Colby Live performance, Frou Frou's "Let Go" and Justin Timberlake's lauded opus, "What Goes Around Comes Around." As usual, the tricky background voices drew a gradual laugh of recognition from the audience: the slow clap of a cappella. This time the percussion was just Mr. Timberlake's name-surprisingly, Justin hasn't tried this in his own work.
Last of the a cappella groups to perform was the Sirens, who were, alas, the only group to stick to their roots and wear goofy a cappella clothes. These are necessary not only for their inherent goofiness, but because without them it would be too easy to get lost in the airy harmonies of songs like "One Moment More." It seems appropriate to say something about Homer being right, but we'd rather compare them to an audible roundhouse kick to the face (just without facial hair).
Two student bands rounded out the program. Hanna Pickwell '10, late of Powder & Wig's [The Foreigner], proved herself a woman of many talents indeed as the banjo-toting lead singer of The Headrights, with Sei Harris '10 on cello and Ben Bernstein '10 on guitar and piano. Relative newcomers to Colby's music scene, they deftly shifted gears mid-concert from the Megs' high-powered pop to a folk blend that was melancholy and merry in turns. As we write this article, we're actually listening to [Remain Grateful], the EP they sold after the show.
Capping off the night was the recently assembled and aptly-named Quartet-Andy McEvey '09 on drums, Nick Baranowski '09 on upright bass, Kerry Whitaker '08 on keyboard, and Peter Matson '09 on guitar-with a set of jazz and funk standards. Instrumental virtuosity has rarely looked and sounded so easy, even from these recognizable Colby music veterans.
Something else to be said for all Colby performers, is that they even make mistakes fun. Moments into their second song, the Megs cut themselves off at a look and uncomfortable laugh from their own Lane Phillips '10. In the Headrights' opener, Harris surprised even himself when he plugged in his cello mid-song for what seemed the second but turned out to be the first (as evidenced by a sudden swell of sound) time. Both blunders turned out to be less than such, receiving good-natured laughs. And both groups went on being great.
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