Creative melodies set Fireside Lounge aflame

Snap your fingers, do your step, you can do it all by yourself. Or you could’ve done it with a band during Open Mic Night, Monday evening. It was a sight to be seen, heard and remembered. Singers belted, poets vented, hearts were won, worry was lost, boys became men and souls were set aflame in the pervasive beauty of shared genius. A dozen or so hopeful artists, a little beleaguered by anxiety, stood in a line in a corner of the University Center Fireside Lounge, anticipating their turn in the proverbial limelight. The nervous shuffle of students just becoming acclimated to their role as performers, abated as the first act got started; with the support of friends and friendly audience members, the musicians reveled in their creations and lit the chilly night with wondrous ardor. Open Mic Night has long been the refuge of creative young things, often featuring skinny hipsters with a fat flair for music and words to stir the burbling passion inside. Yet, sometimes in the figure of a lamb lies the heart of a lion, as the audience would come to find out when Keegan Fisher read to the audience, fairy tales of traditional love turned askew. As youngsters bandied about in clothes belying an indie-rock persuasion, the vibe was eminently cool, occasionally resonating with the tinkling of fingers snapping appreciatively to well-written words and even a sprinkling of coarse language for those in need of an edge to their Monday nights. Jasmin Poythress, a junior psychology major, was greeted with wild whooping as she walked onstage to croon Des’Ree’s “Gotta Be.” Her melodious voice lent strength and distinction to the well-known ditty, but softly, simply, bereft of any unnecessary cooing. “I’m always nervous,” Poythress said. “I’ve done this for a little while now; they call me a veteran, but I feel like I’ll always be a beginner. There’s so much to learn.” Cameron McNerney, a junior communication major, lent intensity to the evening atmosphere with a couple of original songs banged out on piano keys, his face contorted from the tricky business of extracting one’s misery and confusion out from within, through vocal chords. “Sorry I’m not really mellow,” McNerney said. “I’m really intense, which is the way I think life should be. I make my songs based off my life and what I strive for. It’s the music I need to hear.” Open Mic Nights have inspiration and amusements for everyone, even rock ’n’ roll versions of salacious rap songs, if that tickles your fancy. “Not only does it have amazing shows, but it also has free Starbucks, which is just, like, an added plus,” said Michael Richardson, a sophomore art major.