Heather Mcgehee – for the Review. The Nov. 19 Cat Cab was a happy accident. A Portland-based bluegrass band was scheduled, but, as the date drew near, the band canceled, leaving Cat Cab organizers seniors Jesse Hughey and Chris Hernandez to their own devices. Instead, they gave Linfield students a chance to entertain themselves.
The result of the unfortunate cancelation of the Blue Berry Greens Band was an open mic Cat Cab. Spontaneity sprung up as students signed up to perform. The lack of any real registration process made the night a surprise even for its emcees.
One of the night’s best performances came from sophomore Sabrina Coleman. After belting out an a cappella cover of Amy Winehouse’s “You Know I’m No Good,” Coleman cued some music and sang an original song. The catchy tune, with its natural and earnest lyrics, as well as verses in Nigerian Pidgin, was met with wild applause.
“I’m actually glad that happened,” sophomore Lani Speer said of the scheduled band’s cancelation. “I got to see Sabrina perform, and it made up for all the times I didn’t get to see her perform.”
Coleman has put together a large body of work using beats written for her by friends and has been trying for quite some time to get her own Cat Cab. She’s been told the schedule is booked for Spring Semester.
“Some people ask me why I’m always writing, and I tell them it’s because I always have a story to tell,” Coleman said. “It sounds corny, but that’s how it is.”
Another favorite of the night was a duet of sophomores Jeremy Moll and Jessica Goergen. Goergen first sang a cover of Norah Jones’s “Don’t Know Why,” while Moll provided backup on piano. The duet that followed was recalled by many along with raves about Goergen’s powerful and rapturous voice.
Speer summed up the sentiment frequently expressed: “It was just beautiful.”
The two-person act was directly followed by some of Moll’s solo work performed on acoustic guitar. His first piece was “Dragonflies,” a song he wrote the day of his last Cat Cab. Moll voiced remorse at having butchered it that time. The second piece he performed was an untitled song he had written earlier that day.
What people most enjoyed about the open mic Cat Cab was the thrill of hearing from individuals who don’t often step into the limelight.
“I just thought it was fun hearing all of those people you know that you didn’t even know sang,” Speer said. “It was a pleasant surprise.”
The final performance, by sophomore Kate Koten, seemed to embody this spirit. After being called onstage by friends and mentioning her lack of performance history, Koten sang Carol King’s “Tapestry.” Despite the sadness of the song, the talent and emotion of the singer assured that everyone left Fred Meyer Lounge smiling.