On Friday, February 7th, crowds filled the ADR to witness the incredible talent of fellow students. Unlike Heritage Idol, this was not a competition. Instead, it was a fun night to relax and enjoy the fellowship of the student body. When Sean Ellis described his own act, he called it “unorthodox.” Though he may have only been describing his own act, it may also be the best way to describe the event in general.

In many ways, this was a normal coffee house. Students watched 16 acts as performers sang songs, played instruments, and read original poetry. That said, several of the acts were anything but ordinary. The first act included ten people, who gradually joined. This bunch filled the stage in an amazing rendition of “From Now On,” from the “Greatest Showman.” Much of the crowd could not help but sing or clap along. Later on, Sean’s beat-boxing routine, self-described as “unorthodox,” got the audience dancing and clapping along. One audience member went so far as to join him on stage. This unplanned guest started rapping as Sean dropped a beat. Soon after joining, he bolted off the stage after some surprising lines. After the crowd settled down, the night resumed. During the second half of the night, the diversity among the performances continued. Han Namgung and Sean Jeung exposed the crowd to a bit of Korean culture through a popular Korean break-up song. In spite of it being a break-up song, the energy of the room remained high. Another unusual feature of the night was the incredible variety of instruments used by performers. Students played piano, violin, cajon, guitar, and stringed bass. The bass was particularly surprising to the audience, as most would not have expected a fellow student to bring such a massive instrument.

This coffee house, though unusual, was a hit. The audience thoroughly enjoyed themselves, and it was a brilliantly supportive environment. Each performer earned his or her place on that stage. None of the performances disappointed. In the words of emcee Arianna Woods, “If that’s what unorthodox looks like, I like it!”