Lori and the Always-Already Baffle PoSA
By Michelle Vijverberg
Staff Writer

Alright. I confess: I know almost nothing about art or art shows, and the type of music often presented at the PoSA art showings usually confounds me. In fact, my only experience with the PoSA art shows in the past was as a freshman living in a room overlooking the Blaisdell courtyard where the show was housed; we would groan every time we heard the loud music begin to play, as it disturbed our last feeble attempts at pre-party studying.

But this year I decided that perhaps I should give the show a shot and see what all the ruckus from this thing called PoSA is about.

The clear night, a friendly crowd, and a variety of delectable munchies, including wine and my favorite, chocolate covered coffee beans, made for a sociable and relaxed atmosphere at the Pomona Organization of Student Artists' show. Housed in the little room adjoining Gibson, the show started a bit late but attracted a comfortable crowd, with more people tickling in as the evening progressed.

A leisurely viewing of the art on display revealed about twenty-five pieces of art by various student artists in an assortment of media, including photography, painting, ceramics, and chalk drawings. These pieces covered a wide enough range of subject matter to please anybody's taste. Among others, the collection included paintings of Eastern influence, landscape drawings, poignant photos from the home, and a rather baffling ceramic sculpture of bananas and splintering guns. Tony Tiu '03, who has been quite active in presenting his photography on campus, was on hand to talk to interested art-goers, shuffling by his colorful still-life photos.

Outside, the majority of the people present were gathered to listen to the band Lori and the Always-Already, scheduled to play for about an hour. Honestly, I could not understand the majority of what was yelled into the microphone, but it was still an entertaining performance. The energetic band consisted of five members, Colin Platt '03, Peter Cook '03, Josh Shipper '03 and Lori Desrochers '06, who had apparently just learned to play the bass a few days before and, as a Blaisdell resident, drew a sizable fan club in her honor. Nathan Fisher '03 spent much of the performance sitting calmly in a chair on the make-shift stage, sipping refreshments. In the middle of the first song, questions like "Who is that guy sitting in the chair?" and "Is he part of the band?" were answered when the lead singer stopped, and Fisher stepped up to take over, garnering quite a few laughs from the audience. The rock alternative music, which mostly related to subjects of war and peace, was further enhanced by a television set off to the side that showed news clips and images associated with war-related current events.

When asked about the art showing, most people had positive things to say. "I had really envisioned something different, but I'm really impressed with the art, and the band really enlivens the atmosphere; the casualness is great," said Marianne Chen '05. Many of the people that came attended in support of friends involved in the art show. The band played a large part in drawing an audience as well, particularly from the Mudd-Blaisdell inhabitants. Jonathan Ou '05 confessed that he came to support Lori and the Always-Already and because he could "almost touch the band members from his window, so [he] might as well."

In the end, I would have to say that the show was a nice way to kick off a Saturday evening. Despite the harsh words my hallmates and I may have had for the PoSA art showings last year, I actually found the event pleasantly entertaining. In fact, I might even go again next time, as PoSA puts on shows throughout the year showcasing student art.