On Mon. Sept. 15, student’s snuggled up to the relaxed environment inside PSU’s Fireplace Lounge to enjoy the various melodies provided by fellow classmates for the first Open Mic Night of the year. Put on by P.A.C.E, the event hosted ten acts from first year to super senior.
The lights went down at the tick of 8 p.m. and first year students known as Jake and James took their seats behind the microphone stands to set the night off on an emotional note. Wooing the crowd over with an acoustic guitar backed Jame’s mandolin, the duet performed two songs, the first of which was a quiet jam that incorporated the mandolin well. The guys in semi-bummer moods broke things down a bit more in the second song, which they had written the day prior. James kept things in a steady line while Jake brought the upbeat track to eleven and supported his chords as the inflection of his voice brought a storytelling quality like Bruce Springsteen’s, “Growin’ Up”, which showcased to the duos talent.
Ben Trister made himself comfortable for the next set, as he sat on the bar style stool under the spotlight. Trister sent hands in motion, inciting a clap-fest for a quick warm up. Now that he had the audience’s full attention he busted out his banjo into a cover of a track called “The Willow Tree”. Wrapping up his performance only after two songs, Trister decided to improvise and mixed the music up with an assortment of folk twangs, which definitely kept the beat going and the snug loungers awake and excited.
Playing the third set solo, Paul opened his set with heavy key changes as he played the songs from his band back home in M.A. Paul’s tracks were mostly faster than your typical emo song but certainly knocked down any lame Dashboard Confessional comparison some might assume. Reinforced by his vocal chords, Paul carried the weight of his songs with several guttural sounds that hinted toward the lyrics heartfelt value.
Fourth to take stage was Communications major, Zeke Lowell. Lowell played a quiet instrumental to get the last of his first open mic ever butterflies out. Migrating into his second track, Lowell preferred a cover over an original with his rendition of Bright Eyes, “True Blue”. His voice didn’t shake to the extent of lead singer Conor Oberst, though his ability to manipulate the strings was spot on.
After helping Lowell out with his cover of “True Blue”, Mike Kim remained in position as he performed an original of his own. Kim’s song had a summer campfire feel to it as he expelled the truth that he just isn’t the outdoor type. Captivating the audience with its optimistic lyrics and progressive rhythm, Kim finished out the performance with his quirky metaphors as students applauded in satisfaction.
Back from summer camp success, Thom, a sophomore assumed his position on the chair to perform three tracks. The first was an original he co-wrote with another counselor about the throes of finding ones own confidence. Thom sung with a sincere voice as he dictated his troubles to the microphone, which the crowd seemed to appreciate. Crossing musical genres, Thom covered Swedish metal band Opeth’s, “Harvest.” While the original is definitely a step down from the bands normal heavy tone, Thom was able to take it a notch lower, giving rise to the songs sharp chords. Choosing a second cover to finish his set, Thom played David Bowie’s, “Space Oddity.” Though he had one mishap in the middle of the set, Thom recovered well, finishing on a solid note.
A couple in the crowd played waiting in anticipation while Plymouth Open Mic. Night regular, Shaun Dever opened his set with a cover of Starting Line’s song “Best of Me” transitioning into one of his own pieces “Winter Boots”. Once Dever wooed over the ladies in the crowd with his textbook cover, he set his kapo a few frets down to begin playing his latest piece, “Bird Watching”, a catchy melody matched with good-humored lyrics like, “if that mocking bird becomes the trick for staying young then sign me up.” The crowd continued to watch enthusiastically as Dever’s stage presents struck smiles up across the rows.
Closing out the evening was first year student, Abbie Morin. From the getgo Morin intrigued the audience with her cover of The Beatles, “Something.” Belting out the lyrics, “I don’t want to leave her now,” while backed by the hard pressed chords of her acoustic guitar. Certainly pleasing the crowd as they cheered and shouted. Morin’s second track took things down a notch though it was her last song that sealed the deal for the onlookers appreciation, leaving sophmore Colleen Dugal saying, “Abbie Morin brought down the house at the end of the night.”
At the end of the night, PSU’s first Open Mic. was a sure success as students left in high spirits. PACE hosts Open Mic. on Mondays once a month at the HUB Fireplace Lounge make sure not to miss the next one, because it’s guaranteed to rock.