Rodrigue’s Welcome Back Show this past Saturday was well attended by Rams young and old. (Michael Hayes/The Fordham Ram)
By Annemarie Marconi
his past Saturday, Sept. 3, Rodrigue’s had its third annual Welcome Back concert, held right behind the campus coffee shop, as its first event of the school year. The event was well-attended, with students gathered in the backyard to hear a student band called Drowsy Joy, opening act Fraternal Twin and headliner The Hotelier.
“Being able to hold an event in the backyard space is awesome because it is so much bigger,” said Nick LaBruna, FCRH ’17, co-president of Rodrigue’s. “This means we can get a bigger band, someone who has more of a following and can attract a larger crowd.”
Indeed, The Hotelier is getting attention lately, as their newest record Goodness was released in May to critical acclaim. Co-president Ian Donohue, FRCH ’17, thought the band was a great fit for Rodrigue’s. “We really wanted another rock band, since having Titus Andronicus went well last year,” he said, referencing last fall’s headliner of Rodrigue’s Welcome Back Show.
Members and staff of Rodrigue’s could be found serving coffee, tea and lemonade to patrons, greeting people at the front gate and assisting band members with setup. All members were wearing green t-shirts adorned with a parody of the “Seinfeld” logo that read “Rodrigue’s.” Plenty of non-members attended the event, too. Freshmen were especially encouraged to come and check out what Rodrigue’s has to offer.
Erica Scalise, FCRH ’20, decided to come after learning about the event at the coffee house. “I walked into Rodrigue’s to get some coffee two days ago. While I was hanging out, I overheard people talking about the Welcome Back Show. I really wanted to come see what Rodrigue’s events were like.” Scalise said the community atmosphere is what drew her in initially. “It just seems like a welcoming and accepting place.” She expressed intent to continue to be involved with Rodrigue’s.
Opening for The Hotelier and Fraternal Twin was student band Drowsy Joy. Comprised entirely of juniors, Drowsy Joy won Rodrigue’s annual Battle of the Bands last year and got to open for Matt & Kim during the 2016 Spring Weekend concert.
Drowsy Joy started after members Ken Iselhart, FCRH ’18, Tyler Newfell, FCRH ’18 and Brian Cullen, FCRH ’18, met and decided they wanted to start playing music on campus. They were connected to drummer Mary Munshower, FCRH ’18, while chatting during a fire drill. Finally, they needed a singer, and they found one in Sean O’Connor, FCRH ’18. Before they were opening for The Hotelier and Matt & Kim, Sal, beloved owner of Pugsley’s Pizza, used to let the quintet practice in the basement of his restaurant.
The band was very excited to be attending the event. “I can remember going to this two years ago as a freshman,” Iselhart said. “I was new here and just thinking about how cool it would be to one day have a band on campus.”
Munshower echoed her bandmate’s sentiments. “You go to events like this and think, ‘Wow, I wonder what it would be like to get up there?’ And then we did, and we hope we can continue to do so in the future. It feels awesome.”
“We thought our set went really well,” said O’Connor. “Everyone seemed like they were enjoying it.”
Students sat on the lawn behind Rodrigue’s in clumps to listen to the bands of the day perform, and eventually they rose to a stand when The Hotelier came out. People were mingling, catching up about their summers and making new friends.
There are Rodrigue’s regulars, like Madelyn Murphy, FCRH ’17, who are used to attending Rodrigue’s events despite not being part of the actual staff. “I just really love live music, coffee and the community here.”
Many fellow lovers of live music and coffee had a great afternoon at the Welcome Back Show. After a successful first event of the year, it is possible the many freshmen who attended will grow to become Rodrigue’s regulars.
