Out and About: Random River Ruckus

There is a certain charm in how an evening can turn out just right. Three Harvard student bands played for a carefree crowd in the Eliot House courtyard on Monday night. It was the kind of event that is only possible in those awkward and wonderful days before classes begin. A beautiful late summer evening, together with the promise of some of the most engaging musical talent on campus drew people from all different houses. The whimsical green of the Eliot House tower was illuminated from behind the courtyard. Below it, part of the courtyard was illuminated from the ground by desk lamps borrowed from dorm rooms. The drum set was perched on picnic tables and an amp sat happily in a shopping cart, as Geoff S. Harcourt ’04, the lead singer of the first band, Subject to Change, so kindly pointed out.

Harcourt and his co-conspirators (Taylor R.Terry ’03 on bass, John “Jack” C. Murphy ’04 on lead guitar, Lee S. Chung ’04 on electric violin and mandolin, John S. Young ’04 on cello and Ethan B. Abraham ’04 on drums) started off the show with the sweet sounds of their “acoustic-electric-symphonic-rock experience.” They found themselves entertaining residents of Eliot House through their windows in part because four of the sophomores live in what they like to call the Eliot Four Man Suite. Lino Pertile, co-master of the House, welcomed the band, along with Invisible Downtown and Second Act (also Eliot affiliates), after attempts to organize a larger concert on the steps of Memorial Church were foiled by a seemingly un-hip (or tragically constrained) dean.

Invisible Downtown took the makeshift stage next. The band, made up of Joseph S. Bell ’03 and Michael J. Palmer ‘03, vocals and guitar, Matthew J. Kamen ’03, bass and Travis M. Beamish ’04, drums, describes itself as “an edgy indie power pop quartet,” but this is an indie power pop quartet that isn’t shy about spontaneously breaking out with “Bust a Move.”

The final act was, inappropriately enough, Second Act, an “acoustic rock extravaganza” fronted by Jeffrey E. Heck ’03 (but just call him Jeff Heck). There is a very good reason why the group is also known as Jeff Heck and Second Act, which also consists of Warren S. Adler ’03 on bass, Gabriel J. Jostrom ’04 on violin and Josh Rowe from the Berkeley School of Music on drums. Heck has an amazingly full and expressive voice that comes across best in a live performance. His temporary lapses of memory (discussed below) deserve to be summarily forgiven.

It all made for a picture of life at college as it should be but rarely is—the audience was relaxed, happy and vaguely grateful to be there. The bands had that easy familiarity with their music and each other that blesses young, spontaneous and creative musicians more than some polished professionals. Formality was out. At one point Heck left the stage to go searching in his guitar case for the lyrics to a song he had written a few days before. A little later, with Second Act in the first strains of Dave Matthews Band’s “Tripping Billies,” Heck had to stop the music and confess that he had forgotten the first line. He asked if anyone knew what it was. From the audience came a loud shout, just after the music died, “We were sitting drinking!” Not quite the right words, but certainly an apt description. Such an indiscretion never would have happened if the Eliot House bands had somehow ended up playing Memorial Church. Those lucky enough to have spent time in Eliot courtyard that night should thank the dean who wouldn’t allow it.