A Java Jivin' good time

A coffee house mood was set perfectly in the Student Union Wednesday night for the first monthly Java Jive sponsored by SUBOG.

"SUBOG just wanted to create a relaxing event for UConn students to enjoy," said Rohan Saxena, a member of the Marketing and Advertising committee.

Relaxing was the right word for the effect created. Drinks and treats were offered as well as fake flickering candles to complete the atmosphere. Topping off the night were three musicians and one comedian, all of which kept the plentiful crowd entertained.

The feature performer, pianist Todd Alsup, a New York resident, has made a name for himself playing at other colleges and universities and seemed excited to add UConn to his resume. While performing, he was more than animated about his songs and performed with lots of energy. His up-beat tunes could be considered gospel or motown-esque. Alsup is currently in the midst of recording some of the songs he performed at the Java Jive.

"A lot of other colleges have coffee house-like performances that are successful for them so we just wanted to try here at UConn," said Amanda Campbell, the concert chair for SUBOG.

The other musicians that performed included Brant Stout, an 8th-semester forestry major, who performed long guitar pieces that varied rhytmically. The deep chords he strummed through gave a laid-back feeling to the performance, adding to the ambience of the night.

Justin Kilburn, an 8th-semester psychology major, sang and played his guitar in a John Mayer fashion. Kilburn wrote all of his own music, and while his singing was at times hard to understand, his guitar added a mixture of soothing melodies.

A stand-up comedian kicked off the night. Clad in pajama pants and laughing at his own material, Eddy Fitzgerald, a 2nd-semester history major, got the audience amused and warmed up for the musicians to follow.

"Yeah, since UConn is a big school we here at SUBOG thought that a small, cozy event like Java Jive would be a more intimate experience for those who like to just listen to some good music," said Caroline Wolfenden, the fine arts and performance chairman.