The sight of hundreds of open laptops and the smell of fresh grilled burgers from the Alferd Packer Restaurant & Grill permeate the atmosphere of a sea of stressed Buffs.
It was a typical Wednesday in the UMC.
Next to the stage, a sign could be seen that said, “UMC SoundBite Presents: Danny Django.” A calm voice repeated “check” over and over, permeating the low chatter of students. Precisely at noon, a few chords from an acoustic guitar played. The man of the hour had arrived.
From the second that Danny Django sat down to start playing his guitar, he captured most of the audience’s attention. Accompanied by a harmonica, the Colorado Springs native caught the audience’s attention with an acoustic sound that encompassed both folk and alternative styles.
Django describes himself as “Woody Guthrie with digital capabilities” and also compares himself to such artists as Neil Young and Tom Petty in terms of his vocal quality.
Students said they also drew their own comparisons to Django’s style.
Sarah Daigle, a 21-year-old senior management major, said she enjoys this style of music.
“He is something I would listen to on a regular basis,” Daigle said. “He reminds me a lot of Ben Kweller.”
The set started off with “New York City,” a song that had a more folk feel about the Big Apple itself and the desire to go sightseeing.
Django’s next two songs garnered more applause than his other songs played in the set. “What Life’s About” was reminiscent of Bob Dylan, one of the artists that Django said he draws his inspiration from.
The darker “I Blame You” can strike a chord with students, especially those that are dealing with relationship troubles. Especially with such lyrics as “…wish I didn’t know now what you’re about to find out.”
Django performed a faithful cover of Green Day’s “Time of Your Life.”
Colby Schwartz, an 18-year-old freshman marketing major, said she enjoyed the cover.
“That was by far my favorite song,” Schwartz said. “I did also enjoy his original stuff but the cover just made it for me.”
Some students, like Chris Taylor, a 20-year-old sophomore aerospace engineering major, said they thought of Django’s performance as a treat.
“I love live music,” Taylor said. “Anything with acoustic guitar stuff I enjoy.”
A full list of songs as well as a biography of Danny Django can be found on his website.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Taylor Evans at Taylor.evans@colorado.edu.
