By Isabelle Todd
The subtle scent of hot coffee, and aged tapestries sifts through the crowded stage of Oyster River High School’s multipurpose room. Last night Mouth of the River, the ORHS news magazine held their first coffee house of the year. The night consisted of two hours of performances from students and staff, many onlookers snacking on homemade baked goods and sipping hot coffee all on the warmly lit stage of the MPR.
“It [coffee houses] gives the students at Oyster River a chance to come together in a casual and fun environment to listen to different bands and performers. I love performing at coffee houses because everyone that attends is so welcoming and open to hearing new styles of music,” said Sarah Carrow ‘17.
The night opened with a mashup of “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran and “I’m Not the Only One” by Sam Smith sung by Carrow and Bella Dempsey (‘17), which set the mood for the night quickly.
“I like the environment and it’s really cool to see people in the school perform, it’s almost like a hidden talent kind of thing,” said Susie McDonough (‘17).
In addition to the quality and quantity that performed last night Mouth of the Riverhad the highest attendance of any Coffee House last night with 104 people in attendance raising just under $450. Perhaps the raining weather was a calling for students to come enjoy a calm evening listening to their peers. “It’s just a really nice atmosphere,” said Lydia Hoffman (‘18).
One of the things that attracts both performers and viewers to coffee houses is the wide variety of genres played. “Hand-Crank Radio plays a mix of styles of rock and roll: mostly indie, with some pop-punk mixed in, and a touch of classic,” says Owen Ammann (‘17) a member of Hand-Crank Radio.
“We typically are a rock band. But nowadays rock is such a broad category so I like to say we play songs that involve real instruments and not the computer generated stuff you hear on the radio,” says Burt.
Although some favorite performers have since graduated, it was clear last night that the quality of music and performing in this community is not lapsing. Christian Burt, who performed with his band last night, says he misses the performances made in past years by Peter dubois and Riley Webb the most.“You could tell they just really enjoyed each other up there and what they were doing.”
Last night there were performances by Bella Dempsey, Sarah Carrow, Caitlyn Miller, Brandon Buteau, Ben Spain, Thomas Jeffrey, Thatcher Ervin, Ryan Bergman, Colleen Todd, Joe Green, Sam Perley, Kevin Rhoades, Christian Burt, Zach Kaplan, Audrey Ammann, Owen Ammann, Matt Walsh, Adam Hookway, Micah Kelly, Nick Murphy, Haley Brown Blooming, Ian Miles and Madi Hookway. Only eight of the performers were seniors, proving that the level of talent throughout the school is very prevalent.
Last night Mouth of the River released their first issue of the year, if you weren’t able to grab one they will be distributed around the school and community today! And If you weren’t able to come to last nights event don’t fret, this was only the first of many to come this year. MOR’s next Coffee House will be in January.