It's always a special time for alumni, visiting their alma mater after they have moved on with their lives. In the case of Vanessa Kafka, a 2006 UConn graduate, "moving on" has meant pursuing a recording and performing career around New England.
After the release of an EP and full-length album, "Into Place," and performances all around the region, the next natural stop was back where it all started: Storrs. A small but energetic crowd came out Thursday night to support Kafka and her band, and the energy and enthusiasm at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts was palpable.
Vanessa Kafka's charismatic and easygoing nature easily won over the crowd. After introducing her band and sharing some laughs with the audience ("I swear we're a good group"), she began with "Speak In Words," a moderately paced song that showed off her powerful yet expressive voice, evocative of Martina McBride.
A long drum solo introduced the second tune of the night, "Better," which segued into a low-key song, "Don't Believe Me," a faraway-sounding track with lots of dreamy, echoing guitar lines courtesy of guitarist Brian Sargent. The ballad "Till August" followed, featuring keyboard player Andy Sutherland. A Latin-influenced song abruptly changed the mood, bringing the lights back up, so to speak, and preparing the audience to step back into the up-tempo mood of the next song, "Sink."
Right after this, Kafka changed the flow of the concert by announcing she would play the next couple of songs solo. She began with "Box of Matches," followed by several more tender acoustic ballads, one of which included a quote from the Beatles' "Yesterday" near the end.
After this brief interlude, Brian Sargent returned for one song, and soon the full band came back in with the song "If He Stays," featuring a sound reminiscent of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young.
The next song featured Vanessa's younger sister, Alyssa Kafka, a 4th-semester UConn student, rapping to Justin Timberlake's "My Love." Though a distinct departure from her older sister's style, it was nonetheless an entertaining and welcome addition to the night, eliciting cheers of support and delight from the audience.
Next, Kafka returned to her regular style, performing several more slow, melancholy ballads in line with her signature style, including "Calato."
The night ended with an encore performance in the form of the song "Silhouette," one of Kafka's most popular tunes, which turned out to be one of the best performances of an already wonderful night. Kafka joked about how this most popular song, and her first single, was one of the few songs in her repertoire that she wrote "all the way back" when she was a student at UConn.
Kicking off the night was the opening duo of Chris Canty and Brian Sargent.
This small group has seen tours all around the region, and their songs have received airplay on over 100 college radio stations. Canty began with a hearty "good evening" to the concertgoers, and the room quickly filled with rich, swirling dual guitar melodies and Canty's mellow vocals. The seven-song starter, including the popular "Shade of my Heart," set the tone for what was to come the rest of the night.
Kafka made an impression on the crowd with her signature ballad style and melancholy, yet true to life themes. "I really enjoyed the lyrics," said Courtney Lynch, a 4th-semester student. "They were very original and not like anything I've heard," said Nicole Crupi, another 4th-semester student.
Last night's performance was one that was not only deeply satisfying to all the fans that came out to see Vanessa Kafka, but also to Kafka herself. Her music - sometimes upbeat, sometimes contemplative, but always quality - showcased just how good an entertainer she is. "When she soloed, it was very impressive," mentioned Sadie Nazer, a 6th-semester pharmacy major. "It takes a lot of talent to sing and play at the same time."
Nicole Johnson, a 10th-semester pharmacy major, said it best: "I enjoyed the variety she brought to the stage, and she was so very talented."
Editor's Note: Some corrections have been made to the online version of this article since the print edition.
Be the first to comment on this article!