CAITLIN WHITE
Assistant Living Editor
Multiple cell phones held up in appreciation are the only light aside from the spotlight in the dimly lit venue, as students crowd toward the stage. On every hand is an inky fleur de lis stamp, and fans are surrounded by black, velvet curtains.
Though this may sound like a scene from an L.A. concert hall, it is actually a snapshot of Pepperdine’s cafeteria Sunday night, where Ingrid Michaelson and Matt Nathanson were the featured artists at the Student Programming Board’s annual Fall Concert.
The event was a conglomeration between SPB’s coffeehouse and the concert divisions, which included senior Jackie Eaton as the coffeehouse chair and concert co-chairs junior Alex Navarro and sophomore Dustin Glentzer.
The cafeteria was transformed into an open, yet personal space, with a stage against the back wall and the middle section cleared of chairs. Students stood or sat in this open space or along the sides.
“I thought both of the bands were fantastic,” said junior Kristi Bansemer. “Holding it in the Caf was good because it was big enough to have a lot of people, but still intimate.”
Navarro said he thought the concert was a success.
“I loved how spontaneous the concert felt,” Navarro said. “You never knew what Matt was going to say next, and the crowd participation was amazing.”
Glentzer agreed, adding that the concert had a good student turn-out.
“We were selling tickets at the door so there isn’t a way to tell how many we sold yet, but this year’s concert was much better attended,” she said. “Compared to Matt Wertz last year— it was at least doubled.”
The artists each delivered with integrity and enthusiasm and the normally mundane locale of the cafeteria was transformed quickly into a place of art appreciation.
Michaelson began the concert at 8 p.m. Her personality and banter kept the crowd comfortable and relaxed. Though she joked about her lack of fame, many students in the crowd were already familiar with her music.
“I came to see Ingrid,” said junior Pierce Martin. “I have to admit, I didn’t even stay for Matt. She was the only reason I wanted to go.”
From her “Grey’s Anatomy” season closer “Keep Breathing” to a work-in-progress track titled “Are We There Yet?” the ethereal quality of Michaelson’s soprano is further complimented by the obvious intimacy her songs contain.
“What I love about her is you can tell she puts her heart into the performance,” said P.J. Bourke, a junior on the SPB concert committee.
Eaton said she was particularly interested in getting Michaelson for a coffeehouse at Pepperdine,
“I really wanted to get Ingrid here, and the concert co-chairs were already looking at getting Matt for the Fall concert, so when we found out the two were already touring together, it just made more sense to bring them both,” Eaton said
Freshman Patrick McMahon was also drawn to the concert because of Michaelson’s performance.
“I wanted to see Ingrid,” McMahon said. “I hadn’t seen Matt before, but he was really good also. I liked Ingrid’s set more though because I thought it was more personal.”
One of Michaelson’s songs, “The Way I Am” is featured in an Old Navy commercial, and while decrying her lack of brand clothing, McMahon passed up his Gap brand button- up sweater so she could support the company while singing the tune.
“Gap and Old Navy are the same guys, it’s OK,” Michaelson joked.
“I thought about asking her for a free concert t-shirt in return, but then I felt bad,” McMahon said, who ended up purchasing a shirt anyway.
Nathanson, the headliner is extremely different from Michaelson in style, but he displayed the same passion and talent, along with a humor that had the crowd both laughing and puzzled throughout the evening. Nathanson managed to poke fun at himself, musicians in general, Pepperdine’s strict no profanity policy and the issue of plagiarization, as well as deliver a solid live performance.
Junior Elizabeth Atwood attended both Pepperdine’s show and the one in Los Angeles at the Troubadour on Saturday night.
“I think they are both really good, but Matt’s music really appeals to me,” Atwood said. “I liked Matt’s show a little better because he has a really good vibe. He performs very well.”
Nathanson’s energy and presence caught the crowd’s attention when his set commenced and held it until the last electric guitar chord. Nathanson is a performer who can superbly cover songs by artists such as Journey, Simon & Garfunkel and Rick Springfield and whose original songs hold their own amidst these classics. His wide base of musical knowledge only enhanced his credibility with the audience, and somewhere in the clips of songs he sang was something for everyone.
“I’ve been a Matt Nathanson fan for about two years now, he is one of my favorite artists,” Bourke said. “I love how funny he is during his live concerts, and I can’t even choose a favorite song.”
The SPB members said that without the help of volunteers like Bourke, the concert never would have happened.
“The committee helped us out so much,” Navarro said. “They came out here on their own time. They aren’t even getting paid for this.”
Navarro said all the hard work was well worth it. He put in more than 30 hours in the week prior to the concert, along with both of the other chairs.
“Seeing everyone have a good time, and knowing you worked hard to put it all together is the best part of this job,” he said. “Our new adviser Jarrett Fisher helped us a lot too.”
Plans are already in the works for the Spring concert, an event that Glentzer and Navarro will also be putting together. Although no details are available for release yet, SPB has been planning the event for about a month already. Navarro said he is really looking forward to the Spring concert.
“All I can say is, be ready for next semester,” Navarro said. “It’s just going to keep getting better.”
11-08-2007
