Tufts Residential Life activities have always tended to lean toward the more "traditional" side, but tonight the Office of Student Activities, in conjunction with ResLife and South Hall RA junior Stephanie Coplan are classing up their standard community-building exercises. Tonight, ResLife welcomes singer/songwriter Amber Rubarth to the first-of-its-kind coffeehouse in the Sophia Gordon multipurpose room, complete with free food and - get ready for this one - free Starbucks coffee.
The initial idea for this new activity came from Coplan, a local music aficionado, who brought the idea to Lacey Prouty, the resident director of South and programming coordinator for ResLife. Of the starring musicians, Coplan said, "I really wanted them to come to Tufts and play for everyone, and Lacey suggested that we set up a coffee/music night to give them a nice venue. And because it's on a weekend night at 10:00, it gives people who don't want to drink a nice alcohol-free alternative."
The planning process proved a bit more difficult in practice than initially expected.
"Planning involved figuring out who would play, where they would play and how we'd pay for everything," Coplan said. "I picked the artists I knew personally who I thought were the best - Amber Rubarth, Max G and the Spots and Jesse Dee. Sophia Gordon's multi-purpose room was just the right size, and it is food-and-beverage friendly."
Finding funding for the venture was, surprisingly, one of the least difficult aspects of the preparation process. "I applied for a grant from the Office of Student Activities, and then a few weeks later they sent me an e-mail saying they had approved it. I'm currently in the throes of buying food, Starbucks coffee, tablecloths and decorations, as well as renting tables," said Coplan.
This Friday's coffeehouse is the first of three this semester. On March 8 at 10 p.m., Max G and the Spots are the featured guests, and the next month, on April 11, Jesse Dee comes to Tufts.
The events will have a very relaxed ambience, perfect for a post-Valentine's Day date or a night away from the frats.
"The atmosphere is going to be very sexy, very cool, very chic, but also very laid back," Coplan said. "The lights will be dimmed, we'll have some classy looking cocktail tables ... It'll be perfect for Valentine's Day. People will feel comfortable if they dress up or if they dress down - it's really what people want to make of it."
This week's performer, Amber Rubarth, is a 24-year-old Brooklynite (originally from Nevada) who has been performing for about three years. She has released one full-length album, "Unfinished Art" (2006), and is currently in the process of finishing up her second, tentatively titled "New Green Line," on Sounden Records.
Coplan is excited for the rest of the year's performances as well, hoping that other Tufts students will enjoy the upcoming artists as much as she does. Max G and the Spots call themselves "slacker rock," heavily influenced by Neil Young, Fountains of Wayne, Cake and Pavement. Jesse Dee is a soul singer reminiscent of Otis Redding and James Brown. He plays guitar and writes all of his own music.
Coplan's excitement about the concert shone through when she said, "This event is perfect for everyone. Even if you don't like folksy singer-songwriter music, you can still come, hang out with your friends, drink coffee and eat refreshments. It's like going to Brown and Brew, but free!"
When asked for one sentence to sum up the event, Coplan declared resoundingly, "Put down that Solo cup and do something classy for once!"
