By Kevin Doyle
Correspondent
Three student soloists eager to perform in CUB Alt’s first student soloist night of the semester welcomed an intimate crowd of supportive students in the Traditions Lounge on Friday, Sept. 28.
Each soloist’s distinct musical style kept the audience’s attention drawn to the stage. Some setlists gave off a beachy vibe, while others were more serious.
“The performances were great,” said Yamilei Acebo, a sophomore finance major. “I loved the vibes their music gave off, and I would definitely go see the artists again.”
Sophomore international studies major Dylan Lembo kicked off the show by playing his setlist of three songs. His personality shined through his performance right away, making the audience chuckle with his witty commentary.
Before singing about professional skateboarders, he asked the audience if anyone had ever ridden a skateboard before. He then revealed that although he has never ridden a skateboard, he wishes to be a professional skateboarder when he is older.
Lembo also announced that on Friday, Oct. 5 a music video for his song “Every Dog” will be released on Spotify. He closed his performance with his new song, “Carrier Pigeon.”
Jack Sofka, a junior English major, performed five songs, which all gave off the same mellow vibe and reflective lyrics. He leaves his songs unnamed since he writes most of the songs on the fly.
“I wrote most of the lyrics to the new original while sitting outside just five minutes ago,” Sofka said. “It’s usually off the cuff so I don’t judge myself too much.”
Although Sofka’s music seemed heavier than Lembo’s uplifting beats, the audience absorbed each word Sofka sang. Sofka ended the show by rocking out on his electric guitar to a cover of Radiohead’s “True Love Waits,” a surprise song voted upon by the audience.
Jonah Malvey, a junior interactive multimedia major, brought his acoustic guitar and his prominent vocals with him on stage. His three songs brought a beachy, coffee-house vibe to the Traditions Lounge.
“I’ve been recording music in my basement since high school,” Malvey said. “I started on bass and trombone and I hurt my wrist so I wasn’t able to play those instruments anymore and that’s when I stopped and started focusing on recording.”
Malvey also mentioned how this past summer he experimented with different music genres. He has recently placed his focus on pop music.
All three soloists happen to be in the same band on campus, called “Cheyenne Dan,” which was revealed later to the audience.
“We combined our material into one thing and we jammed and we gelled really well,” Malvey said. “It’s a lot of fun. The band gives me a creative outlet.”
Lembo, Sofka and Malvey share a passion for music and performing, and their styles mesh well together. The band is excited to perform at the College, since the campus provides a perfect opportunity to be heard and recognized.
“These guys are so talented,” Acebo said. “I loved all their different music styles and I can really see their band taking off in the future.”
