Spring Break
For Kafka, no place like home
John Tyczkowski
Issue date: 3/20/09 Section: Focus
It's always a special time for alumni, visiting their alma mater after they have moved on with their lives. In the case of Vanessa Kafka, a 2006 UConn graduate, "moving on" has meant pursuing a recording and performing career around New England.
After the release of an EP and full-length album, "Into Place," and performances all around the region, the next natural stop was back where it all started: Storrs. A small but energetic crowd came out Thursday night to support Kafka and her band, and the energy and enthusiasm at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts was palpable.
Vanessa Kafka's charismatic and easygoing nature easily won over the crowd. After introducing her band and sharing some laughs with the audience ("I swear we're a good group"), she began with "Speak In Words," a moderately paced song that showed off her powerful yet expressive voice, evocative of Martina McBride.
A long drum solo introduced the second tune of the night, "Better," which segued into a low-key song, "Don't Believe Me," a faraway-sounding track with lots of dreamy, echoing guitar lines courtesy of guitarist Brian Sargent. The ballad "Till August" followed, featuring keyboard player Andy Sutherland. A Latin-influenced song abruptly changed the mood, bringing the lights back up, so to speak, and preparing the audience to step back into the up-tempo mood of the next song, "Sink."
Right after this, Kafka changed the flow of the concert by announcing she would play the next couple of songs solo. She began with "Box of Matches," followed by several more tender acoustic ballads, one of which included a quote from the Beatles' "Yesterday" near the end.
After this brief interlude, Brian Sargent returned for one song, and soon the full band came back in with the song "If He Stays," featuring a sound reminiscent of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young.
The next song featured Vanessa's younger sister, Alyssa Kafka, a 4th-semester UConn student, rapping to Justin Timberlake's "My Love." Though a distinct departure from her older sister's style, it was nonetheless an entertaining and welcome addition to the night, eliciting cheers of support and delight from the audience.
After the release of an EP and full-length album, "Into Place," and performances all around the region, the next natural stop was back where it all started: Storrs. A small but energetic crowd came out Thursday night to support Kafka and her band, and the energy and enthusiasm at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts was palpable.
Vanessa Kafka's charismatic and easygoing nature easily won over the crowd. After introducing her band and sharing some laughs with the audience ("I swear we're a good group"), she began with "Speak In Words," a moderately paced song that showed off her powerful yet expressive voice, evocative of Martina McBride.
A long drum solo introduced the second tune of the night, "Better," which segued into a low-key song, "Don't Believe Me," a faraway-sounding track with lots of dreamy, echoing guitar lines courtesy of guitarist Brian Sargent. The ballad "Till August" followed, featuring keyboard player Andy Sutherland. A Latin-influenced song abruptly changed the mood, bringing the lights back up, so to speak, and preparing the audience to step back into the up-tempo mood of the next song, "Sink."
Right after this, Kafka changed the flow of the concert by announcing she would play the next couple of songs solo. She began with "Box of Matches," followed by several more tender acoustic ballads, one of which included a quote from the Beatles' "Yesterday" near the end.
After this brief interlude, Brian Sargent returned for one song, and soon the full band came back in with the song "If He Stays," featuring a sound reminiscent of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young.
The next song featured Vanessa's younger sister, Alyssa Kafka, a 4th-semester UConn student, rapping to Justin Timberlake's "My Love." Though a distinct departure from her older sister's style, it was nonetheless an entertaining and welcome addition to the night, eliciting cheers of support and delight from the audience.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
George and Melinda Upton
posted 3/22/09 @ 2:14 PM EST
Great, John! Looking forward to more.
Grm & Grp
Post a Comment