Songwriters' Spring Cover Showcase Slays

 By Nicholas Bucaj and Brian Guedes

On March 14 and 15, the Songwriter’s Club hosted its second annual Cover Showcase, a spectacle in which students performed 22 cover songs by their favorite artists. The shows lasted nearly three hours each, and the music spanned numerous genres, including rock, R&B, and pop.

The show was full of energy and excitement, but it was also a sentimental moment for many club members. This was the last Cover Showcase of the year and the final one for the seniors in the club. We spoke to several seniors about how the show went and how being seniors has affected their participation and role in the club.

Asa Hamlin kicked off the show with a rousing rendition of "Stay with Me" by the band Faces. Hamlin sang and played guitar alongside Lucas Calhoun, with Liam Crooks on drums, Abraham Beats on keyboard, and Nick Bucaj on bass. When asked how being a senior affected his song choices, Asa said, "I wanted to go out with a song that was both fun and meant a lot to me, and the song I picked met both of those. As a senior, my role has changed a lot—from barely being in the club until last year to now having the confidence to both play drums for other people and sing in front of everyone on my own song. Another aspect of senior year that has helped is having less demanding schoolwork, which has allowed me to delegate much more time to the club and play on more songs."

After an electrifying opener, committee member Arin Dean slowed it down with a hypnotic performance of "Pictures of Us" by beabadoobee, an atmospheric track that showcased Dean’s singing and guitar talents. She was backed up by Brian Guedes and Lucas Calhoun on guitar, Nick Bucaj on bass, and Asa Hamlin on drums.

Next was Sabrina Bonelli, performing "You Sent Me Flying" by Amy Winehouse. Sabrina’s stripped-down instrumental highlighted her dual threat of singing and guitar. Frankie Flora provided accompaniment on cajón.

"Out of Order," a band consisting of freshmen Sabrina Blum, Naia Gopoian, Alexa DioGuardi, Dominic Flora, and sophomore Stella Khachetoorian, picked up the pace with "Vertigo" by Beach Bunny, a fast-paced rock song complete with guitar solos and a theatrical instrumental outro.

Newcomer Charley Sootin showcased his chops on classical guitar with "Odeon" by Paulinho Noguiera. The song displayed Charley’s fingerpicking prowess and proficiency on the acoustic guitar, lulling the audience with flamenco-inspired melodies.

In a complete 180, Lucas Calhoun performed next, playing "The Philosopher" by Death. Lucas showed off his screaming and affinity for complex death metal riffage with a thunderous performance. Brian Guedes supported on guitar, while Liam Crooks and Nick Bucaj held down the rhythm on drums and bass, respectively. Lucas had this to say about his song choice and feelings on the club: "Death metal is often dismissed for its brutal intensity, but to me, it’s a world of beauty. Its ugliness and pure brutality—fast, technical compositions with heavy, distorted tones and demanding progressions—collide with melodic harmonies and ethereal breakdowns, creating a perfect balance of aggression and beauty. Chuck Schuldiner’s music, especially 'The Philosopher,' is a huge inspiration, showcasing intricate shredding and hauntingly powerful compositions. His guttural vocals and piercing screams add emotional depth, while his critique of blind faith in modern philosophy reveals his brilliance beyond just music. I want to bring this overlooked genre into the light, to share something that needs appreciation, and, most importantly, to keep metal music alive. It was hard making sure my band practiced. Liam, my drummer, for instance, only started practicing the week of the performance. Making sure everyone could play the song was a challenge, and I went beyond just practicing my part to ensure everything sounded right. It consumed a lot of my time, but in the end, it was all worth it."

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In another change of pace, Aidan Golden took the audience from death metal to pop, singing “We Can’t Be Friends” by Ariana Grande. The band did a wonderful job recreating the electronic instrumentation with acoustic instruments, and the harmonies from Laila Roselle-Plummer worked incredibly well to complement Aidan’s singing.

Hayley Brick showcased her knack for expressive and massive Broadway-style vocals with “Last Song on Earth” by Shaina Taub. Abraham Beals used a keyboard with an accordion setting to add to the sea-shanty swing of the piece.

Mila Tomlin and Esperanza Cylich-Schneider put a unique spin on a classic, performing a duet of “Creep” by Radiohead. The two voices meshed beautifully, adding a stellar new layer to the well-known song. Asa Hamlin, Lucas Calhoun, Elika Trueblood, and Nick Bucaj played on the song as well.

Newcomer Quinn Stirling made a huge statement on her songwriter’s debut, performing “Tell Him” by Ms. Lauryn Hill. A relaxing song with a consistent groove, Quinn demonstrated her singing talents alongside Mila Tomlin and Sandra Garcia. Arin Dean played bass, Liam Crooks played drums, and Lucas Calhoun played guitar.

Another newcomer, Annelyse Javier, performed “A Night to Remember” by beabadoobee and Laufey. She was joined on vocals by Amanda Araujo Ramos and Hailey Green. The voices of the three singers combined in a mesmerizing melody, while the accompaniment of Abraham Beals on keys and Mr. Polanco on cajón created a rhythmic sway that added to the hypnosis of the song.

Closing the first act was “Miss Mary Mack” by The Rare Occasions, performed by Amara Woods and her band. Newcomer David Cliffe wowed the audience with his on-stage charisma and incredible voice. Guitarists Brian Guedes, Elika Trueblood, and bassist Elena Bediako kept up with the challenging polyrhythms of the track, culminating in an epic solo from Brian. We spoke to Amara about what encouraged her to lead her own band and what went into her decision-making for the song. Woods stated, “I’ve always been a fan of The Rare Occasions. Me and Elika met them a few years ago and told them we’d learn and perform either their newest song at the time or ‘Miss Mary Mack.’ I was unsure of what the response would be to the song, but I was pleasantly surprised by the high opinions of it. Doing my own song didn’t feel that different; there was still a lot of networking and practice involved. The introduction part was a little scary, but my stage fright is not as bad as when I first joined. Closing the first act also didn’t feel too different, as I’ve closed the first and second acts before on other people’s songs. I think being a senior makes people a bit more carefree in that we probably won’t ever see each other again. In these last showcases, I’ve been trying extra hard to go out with a bang and make the most of this club.”

Opening the second act was senior and committee member Emma Dognin, performing “The Thrill Is Gone” by RAYE. The song was full of twists and turns, with groovy funk-inspired sections and a bluesy bridge. Emma’s vocal strength was on full display, backed up by a soulful choir composed of Hailey Green, Leah Corpus, and Jordan Adeniyi. The band is also to be commended, with Elika Trueblood and Brian Guedes on guitar duty while Amara Woods and Nick Bucaj collaborated on the rhythm section, playing drums and bass, respectively. When asked about her approach to choosing songs and about any difficulties she had preparing her band, Emma had this to say: “After the first cover show, I started thinking about my song for the next. I knew I wanted to do something with a lot of parts because they usually have more energy. I like to switch between genres of music because I love how different genres can reflect different emotions. Instrument-wise, I put my trust into my band to find the parts I needed, and I worked on finding backup singers who had good chemistry and whose voices fit the song. In the end, it was a very collaborative effort, and everyone did great.”

Next up was Victoria Alcalde, performing a stripped-down rendition of “I’m Going Down” by Mary J. Blige. Featuring Mr. Polanco on guitar and Amara Woods on drums, the light accompaniment allowed for Victoria’s voice to soar, filling the Little Theater with her passionate vocals. Despite the lack of a full band, Alcalde and her band managed to capture the heft and emotional weight of the song perfectly.

Nick Bucaj took a break from bass and took a turn singing and playing guitar on “Seasons in the Abyss” by Slayer. With a stellar band of Asa Hamlin on drums, Lucas Calhoun on bass, and Brian Guedes on guitar, they thundered through the nearly seven-minute track. Nick tore up his vocal cords shouting, with Lucas providing backup on the choruses. During the bridge, Guedes and Bucaj went back and forth with dueling guitar solos as Asa unleashed on the kit with complex fills. An acoustic outro brought the volume in the Little Theater back to manageable levels as the distortion faded out.

Freshman Leah Corpus showed off her incredible singing and piano skills by performing “Logical” by Olivia Rodrigo. A powerful and emotional ballad, Leah’s voice perfectly captured the rawness of the song. Skyler Rosen joined her onstage to sing harmonies during the outro, adding another layer of somber melodies to the track.

Skyler remained on stage to perform her own song, “Dial Drunk” by Noah Kahan. This song went beyond the typical country tune, as Skyler had a full cast of supporting musicians, including Elika Trueblood on bass, Frankie Flora on drums, and Brian Guedes on lead guitar. Skyler’s singing and strumming remained steady throughout the track as Brian unleashed with bluesy guitar licks.

Committee member Brian Guedes performed Metallica’s classic power ballad “Fade to Black,” supported by Nick Bucaj on bass, Frankie Flora on drums, and Lucas Calhoun on guitar. Lucas played the iconic intro solo while Brian delicately fingerpicked on his guitar. Brian demonstrated his singing and guitar skills with a performance that James Hetfield would be proud of. At the bridge, the song took a dark turn into a faster section, with Guedes’ emotional vocals turning into powerful barks. As the riffage intensified, Brian launched into an incredible guitar solo that lasted nearly two full minutes, wowing the audience with intricate picking and whammy bar action before ending the song in a climactic outro.