Coffee was flowing and guitars were tuning on Saturday night as Pepperdine’s musically inclined prepared to take the stage. The Sandbar was filled with murmurs as yet another Coffeehouse was set to begin and 11 acts prepared to perform.
Sunday Helmerich a performer since 15 seemed no stranger to the spotlight. As she placed her hands on the piano keys her soulful lyrics and melodies emerged.
“And it turns out that I’m wasting the better half of my broken heart on this/So don’t forget your rain coat because the clouds are here to stay Helmerich sang.
I mostly write about loves lost and gained. That is my inspiration she said.
For others, the Coffeehouse stage was not so familiar. As sophomore Benjamin Whiteker prepared to entertain, he mocked his fresh presence under the white lights of the Sandbar. The ridicule continued when senior Emory Davis began strumming his acoustic guitar.
You have never seen such an eloquent fiend/who will grin and watch you go down … I was falling on a heap of remorse and praying for the darkness to stop Davis sang. After laying down his guitar he joked, I don’t have a name for that one; let’s just call it ‘Fallopian Tubes’ or something.”
The evening only seemed to become stranger as freshman Ethan Long plugged in his guitar and encouraged the audience to dance to his “electronic garage band sound as he called it. Lyrics were not included, and hardly missed, as members of Long’s band began to file out of the bathroom in costumes – first a giant rabbit, then an elephant, who was followed by a masked man in red robes with a friend in a loincloth by his side. They began to circle Long and dance to not only the music from the amplifiers but to the laughter and applause from the audience. For his final song, the man in red robes removed his mask and improvised humorous yet twisted lyrics: Tiny babies laugh in silence when they die/as the serpent licks their eye/and we die.”
The varied themes of the performance included romance as senior Sean Landis picked up his guitar and senior Alex Skinner sat down to play the piano.
“Winds are changing/blowing wild and free/You ain’t seen nothing like me yet/When the rain’s falling in your face/I can offer you a warm embrace/to make you feel my love Landis sang.
Before leaving the stage for a short break, Landis introduced Skinner, who performed John Legend’s Save Room for My Love” solo.
The good feelings continued as seniors Sarah Firman and Nori Powojski harmonized while senior Marissa Thomas played “Winter Song” by Ingrid Michaelson on the piano.
“They say that love cannot grow/underneath the winter snow/or so I’ve been told … I still believe in summer days/the seasons always change Firman and Powojski sang.
Some students in attendance were surprised to learn of the Coffeehouse’s existence and how much talent seemed to be present.
Everyone’s voices were so beautiful but I think [Firman and Powojski] were among my favorites said sophomore and audience member Bonita Chen. I really wish they had these Coffeehouses’ more often. It seems like there is this whole Pepperdine sub-culture I had no idea existed until now.”The night concluded with the musical and lyrical talents of Nathanial Scribner a sophomore from Santa Monica City College.
“You are bad at love/You are afraid it’ll hurt too much/You don’t want to give your life/I can see straight through your smile/no one wants to marry your lies Scribner sang.
My lyrics come from my philosophies inspiration and the Bible. It’s just a great way to express what’s going on inside your mind and heart he said.