A Very Swampy Break

For most William & Mary students, winter break means going home for some quality R&R with the folks.  For me, however, breaks mean hours on end of writing music, practicing, and spending quality time with the members of my band, Swampblossom.

Going over vocals before recording E.P.

After recording our E.P. last summer at TapTap Studios in Norfolk, we kept ourselves busy last semester by gigging around various local bars and restaurants in the burg—namely, The Crust and The Leafe.

The Crust is a relatively new local venue located right across from Blow Hall and next to Wawa.  They’re known on campus for their wood-oven pizzas, ever-changing drink specials, and the Tribe Choices lunch special (i.e. $5 for a complete lunch—I know, right?).  Last semester, we landed Thursday nights from 8pm-10pm—which was AWESOME!  I’ve personally had a blast playing every week; helping to create a fun space for chilling, dancing, and socializing was just the cherry on top.

Sound Check at TapTap

The Leafe (formally known as The Green Leafe) has a long history here at the College.  They’ve been around for decades, and offer some of the best micro-brews and pub food in town.  (Don’t miss their half-price burger Mondays, I’m bummed I didn’t find out about it until Junior year!)  So naturally, when the Leafe approached us about becoming the house band for next semester, I was thrilled! Free food, drink, and two hours of playing music?  What more could I want!

The Leafe

Break has flown by.  Slowly, ordering textbooks and job hunting are starting to take priority over music (once again).  Even so, this break has reminded me of the many extracurricular opportunities I’ve had the pleasure of pursuing during my time here at the College, and I’m grateful for that.

Oh, and if you happen to stop by the Leafe next semester while we’re playing, come say “Hi!”