On Saturday, friends, fans and family gathered in Olin Sang auditorium to see Spur of the Moment's first a cappella performance of the year. The unusual mix of the audience enhanced the intimacy of the night's performances and the charisma of the performers. The show both advertised and celebrated the release of Spur's fourth album, "Word." Entertaining and rousing, the performance's only disappointment was its end.Spur started the show on the right foot with "Follow Me in the Mirror," a sing-songy and melodious interpretation of Uncle Kracker's "Follow Me" interspersed with elements of Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror." Soloist Aaron Fischlowitz-Roberts '03 pulled in the audience between the two songs with playful intention while the rest of Spur kept everyone's feet tapping. After their exuberant first song, Spur invited their first guests, the Maine Steiners from the University of Maine, to perform.

The Maine Steiners enthralled the audience during their performance. Starting out with a true-to-formula version of Incubus's "Drive," and following with equally accurate versions of Dave Matthews Band's "#41" and Sugar Ray's "Falls Apart," the Steiners vocal talents were impressive. Especially notable was the vocal percussionist, who replicated the sounds of snare drums and crash symbols with ease.

Following the Steiners' performance, the Haverford S-Chords, who trekked seven hours from Pennsylvania to perform at Brandeis, took the stage in khaki overalls. Using the bridges of their songs to interact with the audience and nailing a Red Hot Chili Peppers medley, the S-Chords were as amusing as they were entertaining.

The Steiners and S-Chords were talented, but Spur of the Moment reclaimed the audience's affection the moment they retook the stage. Spur nailed the emotions and rhythms of Michelle Branch's "Everywhere" with more spirit and energy than even the songwriter herself could have mustered. In fact, soloist Shanna Zell '04 replicated Branch's vocals with incredible accuracy while perfecting the song's energy and intonation. The rest of Spur, swaying with the music and striking poses, backed Zell with the kind of confidence and rapport Spur is known for.

Spur then performed a mellow and comedic twist on the Crash Test Dummies' "Superman's Song," carefully placed to follow the more intense "Everywhere." Soloist Robert Tanenbaum's '04 comic relief during this laid-back song made it musically appealing. This crowd-pleasing performance inspired the night's biggest applause.

Another song that captured the crowd was Spur's interpretation of Ben Folds' "Zak and Sara" with soloist Anne Emerson '04. Audience member Jessica Greenberg '05 described Spur's performance as ". great . especially 'Zak and Sara.'" Spur closed the night by inviting all their alumni onstage to perform an intimate rendition of "7 Bridges Road." This reinforced the familial environment that Spur had been created throughout their set.

For the concert advertising the release of their latest album, "Word," Spur captivated their audience of alumni, students and parents. Although the crowd was impressed by the wonderful performances of both opening acts, Spur owned the show with their incredible group charisma and talent. Not only singers, but friends and entertainers to the core, Spur succeeded in pleasing an audience with a small repertoire of songs from their new album. Unfortunately, the night seemed to end too early. Spur's last song left the audience unsettled and wanting more, which may have been exactly what the musicians intended.