The Hatchet Talks to Pie from Viv

by Brendan Polmer
The Hatchet George Washington University, September 9th, 2004

Caffeinated Rock

What happens when you fuse caffeinated beverages with live music in a chill and comfortable atmosphere exclusive to the GW community? To find out, the Mount Vernon Programming Council will host its fourth annual Mount Vernon Coffee House Music Series this Friday night. Scheduled to perform is the band VIV, which just released its sophomore album Flawed and happens to share a drummer with The Counting Crows and Third Eye Blind,.

"Last year we played to a packed house at GW, " said band manager Mike Tarintino. "We are really looking forward to going back there."

By incorporating warm guitars and traditional rock instruments with exotic synths and even an occasional mandolin, VIV creates a steady, easy-to-listen-to sound similar to that of Train and The Wallflowers.

Each month will bring a new band to the Coffee House, including artists like Two Skinny Dorks and Eric Hutchinson. After three years, known artists such as Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers graced the Coffee House stage in the past.

"Both this year and last year we've tried to change up the acts a little bit," said sophomore Jessica Stoellenwerf, undergraduate programming assistant of the Mount Vernon Programming Council. "We've (recently) been leaning more towards rock bands."

The monthly event kicks off Friday, Sept. 10. Doors and the coffee bar open at 8 p.m. The two-hour show begins at 8:30 p.m., and the Coffee House will host a student talent jam later this fall, at which GW students will be recruited to play onstage. To get involved, e-mail the Mount Vernon Programming Council at mvpc@gwu.edu.

-Brendan Polmer

http://www.gwhatchet.com/news/2004/09/09/Arts/Arts-On.Campus-713602.shtml