Carolina Productions hosts Christmas concert
Buddy the Elf would be proud.
Student performers helped spread holiday cheer by singing (and playing) loud for all to hear at Jingle Jam, a student showcase sponsored by Carolina Productions. While the concert was originally supposed to be an a cappella festival, groups dropped out, causing the lineup and nature of the event to change. CP brought the small crowd a show nonetheless — an entertaining one, too.
Five USC musicians took to the Russell House Ballroom stage Sunday afternoon, sharing Christmas songs traditional and lesser known, original tunes and covers, too.
First-year journalism student Casey Berry was the first artist to sing at Jingle Jam, kicking things off with a cover of “Somebody’s Heartbreak,” made famous by country star Hunter Hayes. Berry, dressed in jeans and a brown long-sleeved tee, crooned through the tune, displaying a powerful voice and a nice falsetto range at the song’s climax. He followed that track with “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” flashing a charming smile between verses and incorporating yodel-like vocal breaks and a hint of twang. While he was accompanied by a karaoke backing track, the singer had strong stage presence. Berry is a member of theater group Off-Off Broadway and won second place in this year’s USC’s Got Talent competition.
Next on the bill was first-year marketing student Alec Krok, a singer/songwriter who shared a few original tunes off his debut release “Tell Me.” Since the concert had a holiday theme, Krok played an unexpected seasonal selection.
“I chose this next song because it has the word ‘Christmas’ in it,” Krok said before launching into a cover of John Mayer’s “Waiting on the World to Change.”
Krok, whose dad played music professionally, is a skilled guitarist and his pop voice could be suitable across genres. The musician is planning to release a new album in the summer. “Tell Me” is out now on iTunes.
But singers weren’t the only ones performing at Jingle Jam. Fourth-year criminal justice student Jon “Stot Juru” Jones, winner of USC’s Got Talent 2011, played some saxophone grooves on a couple of Christmas classics and some top 40 favorites. With backing tracks providing an instrumental foundation, Jones did a rendition of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” putting his whole body into it as he danced around in his snazzy black and neon green Air Jordans. The musician, whose stage name is a nod to philosopher Aristotle mixed with the word “guru,” then launched into a version of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know,” playing the vocal line on his instrument and improvising through the chorus. The saxophonist took his show into the audience, strolling around the entire ballroom while performing “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” getting personal while embellishing the well-known seasonal song with bent notes. Jones ended his set with a funky version of Justin Bieber’s “Boyfriend.” Find more of Jones’s tunes on YouTube by searching “Stot Juru.” His album, “Universal Saxifications” is available on amazon.com.
Second-year marketing student Emily Andreoli, who is a frequent performer at CP’s Acoustic Cafe shows, brought her jazzy voice and electric keyboard to the stage, packing power and passion into a set filled with Christmas favorites and originals. CP concert coordinator Chandler Horney, a second-year criminology student, sang with Andreoli on stage on a rendition of “Jingle Bell Rock” and the classically trained pianist also introduced the crowd to a less traditional Christmas tune, “New Star Shining” by Ricky Skaggs. Andreoli’s voice is a blend of country twang and jazzy trill, like a mix between Jewel and Sara Bareilles. She is working on a four-song demo that will be coming out next year. Check out her Facebook page, “Emily Andreoli Music,” for more information.
USC’s 2012 Idol winner, Max Laffey, a third-year anthropology student, closed out the show with an acoustic set filled with smooth rhythmic flow and a little reggae flavor as the singer/songwriter played originals on his guitar. Laffey, who invokes artists like Andy Grammer and Kris Allen, threw in a cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” While the tune has been sung by everyone from Bob Dylan to Bon Jovi, Laffey held his own and kept the audience interested by putting his own twist on it. Laffey closed his set with his original, “My Judgment Song,” which he said is “the song that won me USC Idol.”
Even though Jingle Jam wasn’t the event it was originally supposed to be, those who shared their talents earned the applause they received and kicked off the holiday season right. Carolina Productions will wrap up the semester with Poetry Night in the Russell House Bookstore Cafe at 9 p.m. Tuesday.