Being a little too early in the semester for our favorite on-campus a cappella groups to liven up our coffeehouses, it's a challenge to draw a huge crowd to Chum's just yet. However, the Women's Rugby Team tackled that obstacle pretty well and slowly but surely attracted about 40 "non-ruggers" to enjoy some nice music and company. Perhaps a handful of them had been mystified by the ads that said, "Meet Your Neighborhood Hooker," ("hooker" actually being an official rugby term) but most of them seemed to be there to either support the team members or the scheduled performers.

The night kicked off with a pleasantly casual a cappella performance by Beverly Levine '04 and Sarah Orzalli '04, two hardcore ruggers with soft, angelic voices. Levine's mezzo and Orzalli's soprano created an effortless harmony as they sang "The House at Pooh Corner" and Dancehall Crasher's "Crickets" with no qualms. Beverley then courageously took one for the team and did a solo of Blues Traveler's "Hook," a song that she managed to pull off despite its fast-paced lyrics. The music was perfectly fitting for the intimate, laid-back atmosphere that lasted during the first half of the coffeehouse.

A short comedic act by Ms. Bounce followed, which involved two rugby girls doing a circus-like juggling performance. After a few unsuccessful attempts, the girls finally got the rhythm and the crowd broke into applause and laughter.

Vanessa "Vivi" Nemergut '04 then took the stage and graced the audience with her folksy guitar playing. Her first serving was Blind Melon's "No Rain," of which her chants of "You know I'd like to keep my cheeks dry/ So stay with me and I'll have it made" were memorable. Nemergut's strong, yet warm voice was a perfect demonstration of "elegant violence," a rugby maxim. Other highlights from her diverse performance were "House of the Rising ," 4 Non Blondes' "What's Up" and Dennis Leary's "I'm An Asshole," which, for all its ludicrousness, was a crowd favorite. With understated talent and a great sense of humor, she proved she could pull off any song she wanted.

Toward the end, Vanessa invited teammate Beverly back to the stage for a duet, and together they sang "Closer To Fine." She cheerfully left the stage with a big smile on her face shouting, "I'm an asshole but I'm also a rugby player and I'm proud of it!"

Next up was Marissa Gill (grad), who only needed to sing two songs to take the audience's breath away. She sang an original called "Where's The Good" with an amazing blues voice that was reminiscent of the old Bonnie Raitt. The crowd requested that she sing one more song, to which she responded with a unique rendition of "Ob-la-di Ob-la-da."

Gill then passed the ball to Mark Lipman '04, a Chum's employee and regular performer. He had many fans in the house that night, but his fine voice and acoustic skills impressed everyone all over again. His repertoire for the night included "High & Dry" by Radiohead, Tracy Chapman's "For You," and an unaccompanied version of Joni Mitchell's "All I Want," which he sang with a delicate, yet sure voice, showing his confidence in performing.

Last but by no means least, First Friday walked onto the stage as the audience murmured and stood up to get a better view. For many, it was the first time seeing the band since the arrival of their new drummer, William Rafelson '06. Despite his recent admission in mid-September, he fit right into the niche, providing great anchorage for his seniors. First Friday opened with "Purity," one of their most popular songs featuring shifting tempos and fluid instrumentals. Vocalist Ben Rathbun '04 played so hard during this first song that he broke the G-string on his guitar. While Ben fixed his guitar, Will serviced the crowd with some inspirational improv. The band came back with "Without You" and then "Hope," where Max Glantzman '04 took the mic and boasted his rugged vocals. "Upside Down" was one of the peaks of the night, with a great bass performance by Yari Sigal '04. Their 8-track set seemed to fly by too quickly and the crowd clung to the last song, "Best In Sound."

As a whole, the rugby coffeehouse was a wonderful assortment of the different musical flavors on this campus. It was particularly impressive to see actual rugby players perform at their own coffeehouse. We've all heard the famous motto: "My drinking team has a rugby problem," but judging from the coffeehouse, it looks like they also have a ton of spirit and talent.