The bi-annual Roosevelt Coffee House took place on March 7th, a Roosevelt tradition where student musicians perform live in the auditorium. A plethora of genres were represented, from metal to pop to gospel and everything in between. All performances were incredible, and the crowd responded enthusiastically to all. The coffee house is an opportunity to see all of the remarkable talent that Roosevelt has to offer. Unfortunately, this was the last Coffee House of this school year, but there will be two next year, which promise to be a great experience.
Many of the performers felt nervous leading up to the performance but all of them got through it. Junior Diego Araujo, drummer for the band Half Past Midnight says ““Yeah, I was so nervous, like backstage, I was like, I felt like I was about to throw up. But I’m not gonna lie, when I stepped on the stage I felt like I was like, okay, yeah, I’m good”. Senior Pratham Yadav, lead vocalist for the same band, shared a similar sentiment, saying ““I was a little nervous going in, but being with my guys and all, I was very confident, and I did my job”. Cheyenne Souvenir, lead singer for the band Ultrastellar, also felt a ” whirlwind of emotions. Leading up to it, I was trying to convince myself I wasn’t nervous. but when the time came to walk onto the stage, I definitely was”.
Many performers expressed the energy they felt from the crowd and the emcees and how it inspired them and calmed them. Senior Jason Gallardo, Bassist for Half Past Midnight said “My favorite part of Coffee House is always the walkout. Like, once you hear the MC scream your name, then you hear everybody cheering for you as soon as you step out. Like, that’s courage.” The emcees kept the crowd entertained in the downtime between performances, with skits and introductions that helped drum up support for the performers. Many of the skits were very unserious and humorous and it was a great break from the very severe academic environment of the school. Gallardo agrees, saying, “it’s really important for people to go to Coffee House, to go to drama performances, and realize that you can be a multi-faceted person. You don’t have to just stick with the school side of things.” Ayoade Joy, a solo performer who performed two different songs, also drew strength from the crowd, saying “it can also be very thrilling and very fun especially like if im performing and I look down and I see people smiling and like enjoying the music”.
Overall, the Coffee House is a great break from the seriousness of school, a lively social environment, and a fantastic way to see all of the talent Roosevelt contains. If you did not attend any this year, you should make it a priority to attend one next year.
