Singer/songwriter Byron Zanos filled the Shapiro Atrium Saturday, with the warm sounds of his voice, his guitar and the good sense of humor found in his lyrics. It's very hard to bring atmosphere into a venue like Shapiro, especially when there are hardly any people in the audience. Zanos, however, managed to craft a friendly, laid-back and comfortable ambience.

Zanos started off mellow with a couple of songs from the album he is currently recording. As the evening went on, and he felt more comfortable around his small audience, he turned to the songs he describes as "funny and slightly offensive."

He played two songs in this category. "I Was Lying" is about his ex-girlfriend, and he made some very harsh jokes to her detriment. He referred to this tune as one of those songs he wrote when he was drunk, but he stressed that everything he sang was true. "And she's a terrible bitch," he whispered under his breath.

Another song in this "PG-13" category was an anthem for our generation, "I Want to Be Like Paris," in which he describes how everybody wants to be like Paris Hilton and how sickening the phenomenon is.

His other songs were about everyday things, love and (mostly) girls. "Nine to Five-ing it", was another song he performed, about working a boring office job from nine to five, something he avoided himself, by choosing a career as a singer/songwriter, instead of a being a stockbrocker, which is what he planned to be after college.

Beginning a concert with as few people as this is always tricky. It can go both ways: either extra smoothly, or very awkward. Fortunately, Zanos managed to make it the former, breaking through the discomfort. After a couple of songs, Zanos felt friendly enough to give everybody a free CD.

As the night progressed, Zanos started explaining his songs a little more. "I'm Not Alone" is about somebody who has a lot in life, but just misses that special love. "I'm freaking out," Zanos explained. "All my friends are getting married." On the other hand, Zanos said that if it weren't for bad relationships, he would have nothing to write about. There is a silver lining to everything.

Zanos's performance was a perfect start to a Saturday night. There was free pizza, there were comfortable couches and there was a great performer. It had all the components of a great concert, but the audience was missing. This was a shame, because Zanos is definitely worth listening to. Hanging out with your friends with good music in the background is always a pleasant treat. Should Zanos decide to come back to Brandeis, this critic can highly recommend him.