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There are three surefire ways to get laid in college: drink more beer than anyone else, play a varsity sport or play guitar. The Project, the University of Maine’s acoustic music competition, takes care of one of those. Every spring semester, the Campus Activities Board offers a great way for musicians to share their passion.
The Project is back in action for 2010. New this year are showcases during which performers are allowed to play one song each, according to Hannah Fernald, chairwoman of The Project. Four performers took the stage on Tuesday night in the Bear’s Den in Memorial Union for the kick-off showcase.
The tables at the Bear’s Den were full. Three of the four acts were returning performers and the crowd clearly had their favorites. Keelan Donovan was a clear standout — his high-energy cover of “Alias” by Dispatch ignited the audience. At the persuasion of the audience, he spearheaded the round of encores — a privilege all performers enjoyed that night.
New to the competition was Two Guys One Band, comprised of John Armstrong and Derek Langley. Armstrong said The Project was a great place to hear people play.
“I watched this thing last year and thought to myself, ‘Next year I’m going to do it.’ I am excited for the competition to start. We’ve got some killer stuff lined up.”
Another crowd favorite was Brianna Finnegan. Her encore performance was a cover of Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On.” Finnegan has pulled out this sexual classic before, but it packed just as much punch as ever.
James Gilmore, mastermind behind the “Campus Bands” compilation CD, stepped outside of his usual comfort zone of ’90s hits by playing Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come.” His risk paid off, and he excelled at the oldie. However, Gilmore couldn’t resist busting out “Push” by Matchbox Twenty for his encore.
Gilmore said the new set-up was an improvement on previous years.
“This way it gives the performers a chance to get comfortable playing with each other, and ultimately improve their sets to fit within the high standards that The Project sees year after year,” Gilmore said in an e-mail. “It makes me want to work that much harder on my music to try and keep up with the other sets.”
The laid-back atmosphere fostered a great sense of musical community amongst the performers and audience. One audience member was overheard saying, even though he was missing “Lost,” it was worth it for live music.
“[The Project] is just a way to get campus bands out there,” Fernald said. “It’s the first chance we get to really showcase kids and they like it.”
Another showcase will take place next week, with the bracketed competition resuming after that, according to Fernald. She said there is still time for latecomers to take place in the competition, but that they need to contact her before the end of the week. The competition will continue on Tuesday nights throughout the semester in the Bear’s Den.
