The Brandeis Orthodox Organization (BOO) certainly promoted musical pluralism during their coffeehouse on Monday, Feb. 9 at Cholmendeley's with a show that ranged from bluegrass melodies to big band tunes. The coffeehouse gave the crowd a chance to hear from some of the up-and-coming groups at Brandeis as well as to get reacquainted with some campus favorites, such as the popular improv comedy troupe, False Advertising. Overall, the night proved to be a huge success as everyone who attended had a great time enjoying the acts and hanging out with their friends.The coffeehouse focused at first more on the social atmosphere than the entertainment; the show started an hour late to give club members a chance to comiserate. Students snacked on kosher refreshments provided by BOO, played cards and entertained themselves by making art from Twizzler candy. Unlike many coffeehouses where the crowds show up solely to see their favorite acts, the crowd gathered at the BOO coffeehouse was there for the company as well. The close-knit sense of community at the BOO coffeehouse really helped set a warm, cozy mood and supportive atmosphere for the night's performances.

Opening the coffeehouse was Blanket Effect, comprised of Josh Klein '07 on keyboard, Mike Soffer '07 on guitar, Cory Julie '07 on drums, Joel Favazza '07 on bass and Josh Adland '07 on guitar and lead vocals. Blanket Effect put on a good set for a band that formed just four weeks ago. The group, who write their own songs, began with Soffer's "She'll Never Know" and Klein's "Streets of Orange."

While Blanket Effect may not have the best voices on campus, the group was incredibly entertaining to watch. Ending with a side-splittingly hilarious rap medley of Nelly's "Ride Wit Me", Tupac's "Changes" and Vanilla Ice's "Ice, Ice Baby," Blanket Effect had the whole audience on their feet in fits of laughter.

Hillel Smith '06 and Robert Tanenbaum '04 of Spur of the Moment added some veteran talent to the mix. The duo provided a nice contrast to other more upbeat acts at the coffeehouse with their tranquil melodies and smooth sound.

The pair harmonized well together, especially on Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide." Tanenbaum provided to be a highly original arranger as well, performing a song he wrote in an AP English class during high school inspired by The Great Gatsby.

Audience members clearly enjoyed the duo's performance as well, singing along to their touchingly nostalgic rendition of Simon and Garkunkel's "The Bouncer." Both Smith and Tanenbaum harmonized well with the equally folksy, wistful quality of their voices. Hopefully the BOO coffeehouse will not be the last time this pair will perform together.
Later in the evening, a jazz band led by J.J. Schmuckler became the second all first-year group to take Chum's stage. Performing jazz classics from legends such as Miles Davis to swing style big band numbers, the talented ensemble had everyone tapping their toes and bobbing their heads along with the catchy, funky sound.

The band, who have been together for over a semester, played well as a cohesive unit. Schmuckler on the saxophone and Graham Dobereiner on the trumpet really lit up the stage as they called back to each other with their instruments.

While the jazz band gave a pleasurable performance, BOO members were clearly most excited to see the South Street Bluegrass Band. Comprised of John Gradman '06 on guitar and Sam Petsonk '06 on banjo, the popular pair had the whole crowd clapping and yelling "Yee-Haw" to their upbeat, entertaining tunes.

Gradman and Petsonk's extraordinary talent was apparent in their performance as their fingers blazed across their instruments' strings. Most importantly though, the band has really done a service in helping to develop an interest on the Brandeis campus in this underappreciated style of music.

False Ad brought the BOO coffeehouse to a hilarious close. The group opened with the game, "Historical Mambo," where members re-enacted the storming of the Bastille through an interpretive dance to Outkast's "Hey Ya." False Ad also shone on "Populous Typewriter," where the group had to put together a skit combing the plots of War and Peace and Lost in Translation. Though a tale about Yiddish taking over the cafeteria really had nothing to do with the book or film, the group's on-the-spot, story-telling skills were priceless.

While False Ad was the most widely recognized group to perform at the
coffeehouse, interestingly enough, the comedy troupe seemed to receive the least love from the BOO crowd. Audience members even shouted out during False Ad's game "Interpretive Debate" that the "man-versus-machine" topic had been planned. Despite any audience allegations, False Ad deserves enormous credit for being able to get on stage and create instantaneous comedy. Their energetic, outgoing personalities on stage always lead to an enjoyable performance even if a particular game is not the most entertaining.

The BOO coffeehouse provided a great opportunity for club members to catch up with each other while watching some very entertaining sets from all of the musical and comedy acts involved.

Hopefully, we will be seeing more from the two first-year bands at upcoming Brandeis events. Seasoned ensembles South Street Bluegrass Band and False Ad impressed as well along with the talented musicianship of Smith and Tanenbaum. And most importantly, all audience members in attendance at the BOO coffeehouse had a fun time and left entertained.