On Friday 8 April performers from Belmont Hill convened in the Kraft Theater to perform at the second Coffeehouse of the 2015-16 year. The fame garnered by the first coffee house this past December proved instrumental in attracting the largest-ever crowd present at a coffee house in Belmont Hill history. The April coffee house showcased the quality of music being made at Belmont Hill, as many new performers were present on the program as well as many established solo acts and groups. The show started off with a performance of the Rolling Stones’ “Paint it Black” by the Middle School Rock Band, setting the upbeat and lively tone for the rest of the night. Afterward, Al Zenati and Heather Forbes sang a Meghan Trainor song, with virtuoso pianist George Hu accompanying. A couple of acts later, Marshall Knight wowed the audience with his introspective and passionate singing of “The Gardener,” while playing his guitar. Following Knight was a trio consisting of trombonist Armin Thomas, trumpeter Jacob Welborn, and drummer Scott Jackson who performed a live rendition of the “Timmy Trumpet Freaks” meme. The Jazz Combo took the stage after them, and sported their swag with “Soul Man”. Two songs later, was a haunting rendition of Schubert’s Erlkönig by Armin Thomas, followed by a revolutionary motivational speech à la Shia LaBeouf made by Gifford Metz that left the audience awestruck by the power of Metz’s oratory. Towards the beginning of the second half of the program, Varun Shah and Mack Perry sang and played Mr. Brightside, to wild applause. The night only got better from that point, with the Upper School Rock Band #1, supplemented by the fresh tenor voices of Alex Afeyan and Harrison Rohrer singing “Only the Good Die Young”, the Billy Joel classic. Following them was Armin Thomas, on solo trombone who played “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons, wowing the audience and getting them on their feet by exhaling in the style of the original song. A few acts after Thomas was the Country Band, with Andrew Kaneb soloing on violin, who played “El Dorado,” a popular country tune. After them came elements of the Upper School Jazz Ensemble, the premier jazz group on campus, who played “Red Clay” to the audience’s delight. Brendan Pulsifer and Alex Afeyan showcased their vocal and pianistic abilities with a harmonious duet of “Bridge over Troubled Waters” that duly pleased the audience. And finally, to close the show, the full 9-piece Upper School Rock Band, nicknamed “the Boys of the Boat”, played “Snow, Bright Lights”. The audience loved all the performances, and after the final chord proceeded to enjoy their Friday nights satiated with music.
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