Java Review: Who? No. What? Yes.
What? burst onto the Java stage for the third consecutive week in a row of blaring horns, bountiful vocal harmonies and crowd-pleasing conga lines. The crowd was indeed pleased, dressed up in a SLU slew of outlandish costumes, characters and chickens.
What? is no stranger to the St. Lawrence University campus. They graciously greeted our collective abode last November following the release of the debut LP, “Lavender Lounge,” a lush soul selection filled to the brim with tense trombone and trumpet solos. Since their last visit, the band has opted out of releasing any new material in favor of a consistent year-long tour in and around Upstate New York.
Thursday night’s event was a time to behold. With Theme House application deadlines approaching, the Java crew invited their latest applicants to experience the hyper-active lure of pre-show rituals. I must not disclose any information, but I encourage any interested first-year to catch the next round of applications next semester.
After doors opened at 10 p.m., an overwhelming cast of creatures arrived at the scene. Costume highlights included a large inflatable chicken, a scandalous spider, five lanky skeletal men, a sexually deviant Oompa Loompa and a wholesome pair of Bob and Linda Belcher from “Bob’s Burgers.”
The band also got in on the action, dawning a matching set of pajama onesies to complement their equally rowdy set. A crowd favorite of the night was the multi-faceted Ryan Perrone, the group’s trombone/keyboard player (and all-around enigmatic side-man). A new dynamic of the group’s groove was the lateral playing field where all players performed. Not one member outshone the other. Although some–Perrone–had standout moments, they all had their time in the sun.
Charles Quinlan Meyer ’25 was a proud representative of the Artist Guild’s face-painting booth outside the barn doors. Several housemates of the Guild were seated to fancy up any willing Halloweener wanting to appear a bit spookier. Java’s resident “cutie patootie” David Grzebyta ’26 was the first painting participant, fashioning a mysterious skeleton mask to match his unique “Sims” costume.
In contrast to the 2022 performance, What? performed a nearly even amount of original works and cover tunes. Many stupefied audience members had quite a string of comedic commentary to impart to the show. Greenhouse stowaway Tegan Anderson ’23 proclaimed, “They were pretty great. They kept the crowd entertained. [They] kept everyone up and at ’em. It’s great!” Insightful wisdom from a returning legend of the SLU community.
The SLU Wind Ensemble’s lead alto saxophone player Elena Trempe ’27 remarked on not only the general energy but also the talented gentleman on stage. “I love it. I absolutely love the music. Guy rippin’ it on the bari [saxophone] and tenor [saxophone].”
A Mario-clad Katie Stannard ’25 struggled through her ill-fated height. “I’m too short to hear things. The sound waves don’t get to me. I’m too short.” Her taller Italian counterpart, Annika Waskiewicz ’25 had a polar opposite response, befitting their sibling rivalry. “I thought it was phenomenal. I’m approximately three inches taller than Katie, so I could hear everything.”
The party continued on Friday night as Java joined forces with the Black Student Union to present Battle of the Islands, a four-hour-long ordeal headlined by New York’s finest DJs. In past years, the format usually consisted of DJs overlapping each other, attempting to create the best possible beat for a dance-crazed audience. Yet, this year saw one primary DJ MCing the entire night. I truly respect his stamina and enthusiasm for the event. With a mixture of smooth R&B remixes and a fantastical light show (helmed by Java’s Luke Josephson ’26 and Madeline Haydock ’26), the vibes were immaculate. Local students from SUNY Canton and Clarkson (and some probable high schoolers) made their way to Java Barn to join one the largest party crowds of the year. Although the night fizzled out 30 minutes before its intended cut-off, nobody left unhappy.