I was lured to the Women's Ultimate Frisbee Coffeehouse by the pictures of "The Singing Mailman" that were displayed all over campus. As an avid mail checker, I have heard Bill Bowen (our resident campus postal worker) sing many times, usually along with his radio. Each time, I have smiled and nodded my approval; for although I don't sing along myself (in consideration of those around me), I know every word of Bowen's songs. As soon as I saw the advertisements for the coffee house, my fate was sealed. I knew what I had to do, so I gathered up some friends and headed to Chums. Bowen was a terrific performer as expected, singing two of my favorite standards "I've Got the World on a String" and "Summer Wind." His energy and enthusiasm were refreshing, inspiring people to get up and dance. He even had the true Sinatra arrangements in the background, striking a chord in my old soul. Yet just when I sank comfortably into the couch of Chums, Bowen took a bow and headed home. I couldn't believe it. Here I was, at my first coffeehouse and the featured performer was done in five minutes.

Even though Bowen was done singing in a flash, the rest of the coffeehouse was far from brief. In the next two hours and 40 minutes, I couldn't help but feel deceived. Why headline your opening act? But, luckily, the remainder of the show was not without its perks. I must admit that I was impressed by the incredible amount of talent I saw in many of the following acts.

One performer who I particularly enjoyed was Dan Hirshon '04, a comedian not listed on the advertisement. Hirshon joked about many topics, ranging from the chess team to his mother to the Abercrombie clothing line. I would describe his jokes more in detail but I am pretty confident that I would ruin them. Suffice it to say that they were really, really funny. I definitely laughed out loud at many points during Hirshon's act, which is not something I do often. Overall, Hirshon's act was very humorous and fun.

In between acts, hosts Jane Partensky '06 and Ben Woodring '06 provided entertainment as a musical duo. Partensky had a pleasant voice and performed well but I was even more impressed by Woodring, an extremely talented beat boxer. At one point, Woodring mixed the beat with words, a feat which must have been incredibly difficult to do. He spoke of Rhazel, who made the talent famous and famously hard. The entire room was clearly in awe of Woodring's skill; he would be an asset to any of the a cappella groups on campus.

Two singers and guitarists performed, Julia Gordon '07 and Mark Lipman '04. Gordon had a beautiful and soulful voice. I especially enjoyed her rendition of Aretha Franklin's "You Make Me Feel like a Natural Woman."
Lipman - immediately recognizable from Company B - was as talented as I remembered from last year's A Cappella Fest. Lipman performed songs by popular artists as well as a few of his own songs, which I thought were quite good. One of my favorite moments of the coffee house was when Lipman engaged the whole audience in singing Ella Fitzgerald's "Cow Cow Boogie." To his - and my - deliight, the audience decided to play along. It was one of the few Fitzgerald tunes I had never heard of before, but an excellent choice. Yet most impressive was when Lipman changed his voice to resemble a muted trumpet, a technique he has clearly mastered.

The last two groups to perform were Up the Octave and To Be Announced. Up the Octave, the all-female a cappella group, which has revived itself by adding seven new members, was a huge crowd attraction. Chums was absolutely packed for their performance and they did not disappoint. For a group consisting mainly of new members, the sound quality they were able to achieve was impressive. It is a testament to ther talent and work ethic that they could be so vocally blended, so quickly. I particularly enjoyed Otis Redding's "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay," featuring soloist Courtney Whyte '04 and Journey's "Lights" featuring Afton Bergel '06 . The girls are truly exceptional performers.

TBA entered Chums with a great deal of enthusiasm. TBA was definitely another large attraction of the night and they were a very talented group. Their ability to be funny on the spot was noticed by all. However, at points, the group bordered on the offensive, especially in a joke concerning the annihilation of Jews, which resulted in a loud booing from the audience and a member of the group actually walking off the stage.
TBA had no boundaries in their quest for laughs, and two girls went so far as to cover their bodies and faces in toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, soap and whatever else they could find. TBA relied on a great deal of physical comedy and just about everyone in the group fell to the floor at some point during their performance. Their various games engaged the audience and the group has a great deal of potential and will soon become very popular at Brandeis.

Thinking back on the coffeehouse, I realize that despite feeling a bit slighted after missing the Singing Mailman, I saw many talented people and I remain duly impressed. The Women's Ultimate Frisbee Team certainly did their research and picked some of the most gifted performers on campus. My only complaint is that the coffeehouse was too long. For those who came to see their group or person of choice and left, I am sure that it was a fantastic night. But for me, almost three hours of straight entertainment, mainly singing, was unpleasant at points.