Goshen College alumnus Rachel Eisenstat, (’06), released her debut album with her new band “Rachel Eisenstat & Iron City” last month in Colorado. The three other members of the band, all GC alumni, are Dan Eisenstat (’03), Sondra Eby Eisenstat (’04) and Eric Meyer (’05). Rachel started playing music when she was 10 years old. She learned to play folk guitar in high school, and started playing at coffee shops and local events. Throughout college she played at various events with students and people in the community. “Until this band though, I was mostly playing covers, everything from classic rock to...

By Anita Fonseca • December 2, 2010 • Arts

Earlier this month I had the privilege of traveling to Detroit to see Jonsi perform live. Nov. 5 was the date I had been looking forward to since I bought the tickets in early August. I prepared myself for the concert by listening to his debut album Go constantly with the 10 others that planned on attending as well. We had heard that the show was going to be amazing and life changing, “the best show you’ll ever go to in your life,” some said. Our expectations were high, to say the least. However, expecting an amazing show was underestimating the...

By Trisha Danielle Handrich • December 2, 2010 • Arts

Internationally renowned singer/songwriter Sade Adu has never ceased to amaze listeners all over the world with her seemingly simple but thoughtful lyrics. Those words combine with seemingly simple rhythm and of course Adu’s unique, nostalgic and soothing voice. Her style of harmony is filled with melancholy, yet in combination with other musical elements, it creates a marvelous effect. Graceful, shocking and mysterious are three words that best describes this award-winning bi-racial superstar. Adu’s life and past is what breathes life into her music. The sorrowful animation of her intriguing voice is reflected in her words during an interview with Robert Sandall of...

By Idris Busari • November 17, 2010 • Arts

  Grammy Award winner Shawn Colvin will be performing in Sauder Music Hall this Saturday, Nov. 20, at 7:30 p.m.  Her music has surpassed the era of records, cassette tapes, and CDs for what the Washington Post describes as “one for the ages.” The singer/song writer, who released her 10th album in 2009, has shared the spotlight with renowned artists such as Emmylou Harris, Julie Miller and Jackson Browne. Her 1998 album, “Sunny Came Home,” won two Grammy Awards, both for the record and the song itself. On average, Colvin performs 50-60 times a year domestically and internationally. Her work...

By Kelsey Shue • November 17, 2010 • News

Sufjan Stevens has stunned die-hard fans once again with his newest release—The Age of Adz (pronounced odds)—an album that takes a dramatic shift from Sufjan’s usual, both in musical and thematic content.  As a long-time Sufjan Stevens fan, I was among the many who initially mourned the loss of “the essential Sufjan” sound after a first complete listen of The Age of Adz.  However, this long-awaited album deserves a second chance. Perhaps the largest complaint of The Age of Adz derives from Sufjan’s shift away from the usual banjo-plucking, falsetto-lulling sounds of his previous albums. Instead, The Age of Adz...

By Mary Roth • November 10, 2010 • Arts

“Live music is so fleeting,” says Jake Miller, a senior. “So we try to build a moment.”  Since the formation of the band Kansas Bible Company nearly two years ago, that idea has been a driving motivation behind the band according to it’s front man. Deriving its name from the business that a con man starts with a fatherless young girl that he encounters in the 1973 film “Paper Moon,” the Kansas Bible Company encompasses a blend of rock and roll, funk, and soul, and is influenced by such acts as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and The...

By Nicholas Wesman • November 3, 2010 • Features

What is Elizabeth and the Catapult? A medieval epic about the English queen and her use of projectile weaponry? A summary of what happened when I asked my ex to return my stereo? Or a beautifully toned band that recently produced an album that is as incredible as it is cheap? While all of the above may be true, the latter option is the one that I will choose to focus on. Elizabeth and the Catapult’s latest album, The Other Side of Zero (available on iTunes for $5.99, a bargain!) is, admittedly, my first encounter with the group. However, I...

By Matt Lehman • November 3, 2010 • Arts

Jonsi, Nov 5, Detroit Over the Rhine, Oct. 29,  Goshen Theatre Lady Gaga, Feb. 28, Chicago and March 1, Grand Rapids, Mich. After I had the privilege of seeing The Wailin’ Jennys perform at Goshen College this month, it got me thinking about the other concerts that I am looking forward to attending, or are at least on my wish list. I am a true believer that the music is a lot better when performed live than on a digital recording. With the fall concert tours already here and the winter season fast approaching, there are a few concerts that...

By Trisha Danielle Handrich • October 27, 2010 • Arts

When The Wailin’ Jennys walked onto the stage of Sauder Concert Hall for the performing arts series concert Tuesday night, and the air of hushed anticipation in the packed room finally lifted, it was only the first magical moment of a concert that took the audience deep into heart-woven harmonies and what one attendee called “really personal music” that demonstrated both the Jennys’ versatility and seamless vocal blending. The Jennys -soprano Ruth Moody, mezzo Nicky Mehta, and the newest Jenny, alto Heather Massey- claim Winnipeg as their base, and have only recently been back on tour after a one and...

By Josh Yoder • October 14, 2010 • Arts

I first heard the music of Jónsi this summer as I was perusing through a bookstore in Portland, Ore. The poignant falsetto voice and compelling beat made such an impression on me that I temporarily paused my book search to soak up the music. “This sounds like an English-speaking, one-man version of Sigur Ros,” I thought.  I was right. Well, mostly. Jónsi is typically recognized as the lead guitarist and vocalist for the Icelandic band Sigur Ros, a group that formed in 1994.  The band has since gathered a cult following, known for their beautifully spacious songs.  However, after their...

By Mary Roth • October 6, 2010 • Arts

Conspirare, a Grammy- nominated chamber choir, will sing in Sauder Concert Hall at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 5. The group will also record a new album in Sauder, with the well-known classical recording label Harmonia Mundi, during their visit. Having heard about Sauder’s exceptional acoustics, Conspirare decided to record in Sauder even before Goshen’s Performing Arts Series committee asked them to perform. It worked out perfectly that they would combine concert with recording in a three-day visit to Goshen this October. In Latin, “conspirare” means “to breathe together.” In one unified breath, this group of 36 professional singers from...

By Sarah Rich • September 30, 2010 • Arts

Physics Professor John Buschert, along with Ben Toews, Zach Yordy, both seniors, and John Miller, a freshman, spent their summer on a Maple Scholars project that makes music more accessible to those not naturally inclined. The Maple Scholars program pairs a Goshen College student or two with a GC professor for eight weeks to complete a research project over the summer. The “Musician Maker” is a computer program that allows people who don’t have any musical training to be able to play music. In addition to the computer program, the physics team created three different instruments. With the instruments, people...

By Anita Fonseca • September 30, 2010 • Features

Abby Owens may not be well known to music fans outside the Southeast, but she soon will be. This aspiring singer-songwriter’s latest project, Indiantown, is the perfect vehicle to introduce her talents to new audiences. Producer Jason Isbell rightfully showcases Owens’ voice as the lead instrument throughout the album. Her six-song EP is a smart move.  There’s no fat or forced tracks on this CD; it’s all solid material.  From the title track that tells the story of her Florida hometown to musings about lost loves, missed opportunity, friends and family, each song leaves you with anticipation for the next....

By Jason Samuel • September 30, 2010 • Arts

Members of Goshen College’s traveling worship team, Parables, are once again preparing to use music, drama, and personal faith stories to lead audiences on an hour-long spiritual journey. The focus for the 2010-2011 worship program is “Meeting Christ on the Journey,” a theme that the student-led team’s seven members agreed upon while planning for this season’s program. Over the next few weeks the group will begin to travel to congregations and other local venues to sing, perform, and share their own faith journeys. “This is a fun program that has a strong theme we all identify with,” said team member Emily...

By Ariel Ropp • September 23, 2010 • Arts

I first heard the song “Mr. Pitiful” by Matt Costa on a playlist that a friend gave me and I immediately fell in love with it. Matt Costa is an artist known for his ability to write honest lyrics, accompanied by acoustic guitar melodies. When I sat down to listen to Costa’s newest album, Mobile Chateau, I fully expected the same kind of lighthearted, catchy music I had encountered earlier. I was sadly disappointed. The catchiness of “Mr. Pitiful” is long gone, replaced with something I would describe as stereotypically indie. After the first three tracks, the songs start to blend...

By Matt Lehman • September 22, 2010 • Arts