A man, a stage, a drum pad. The setup was minimal but the sounds created by Brian Erlichman '15 at his coffeehouse performance in Cholmondeley's last Wednesday night were deep and complex. Gun cock noises, cowbell and other classic drum sounds sampled from early drum machines (think the synthetic beats pioneered by early '80s hip hop like Run DMC and Beastie Boys) were just a few of the effects Erlichman used in his show. I had never seen anything like this at Chum's, or anywhere else, for that matter. This wasn't a DJ at a dance party, where his music provides the backdrop for bumping and grinding. At this coffeehouse, the audience faced the stage swaying as Jews do during prayer, giving Erlichman and his casserole dish-sized drum pad all the attention. While this weekday crowd consisted of a sizable group of Erlichman's friends and other fellow music lovers, I could see him playing on a Saturday night, with more Brandeisians grooving to his beats.

Erlichman did not have any set tracks for his performance, which was slightly confusing, because there were clearly several defined breaks in his playing during which he changed the sound combination settings on his drum pad. I would call these unnamed sections "movements" in his concert. However, Erlichman did play one composition, titled "Bill O'Reilly," in which he sampled the voice of the famous Fox News political commentator combined with the innovative, low frequency, dark beats characteristic of Erlichman's sound.

Erlichman is obsessed with weaving clips of old and new songs into his creative compositions. His performance included samples from current artists like Major Lazer (dancehall reggae fusion), Slayer (heavy metal), Peter Tosh (reggae), Daft Punk (electronic) and Calle 13 (Latino rap), along with older bands like Earth Wind & Fire and The Temptations. One audience member, Jonah Trout '15, also acknowledged a "strong AraabMUSIK influence" in Erlichman's music because he also "innovates and blends heavy beats on the spot" making handmade tracks right on stage, verus playing pre-recorded songs.

The coffeehouse was Erlichman's first solo performance at Brandeis. He has been playing drums since seventh grade; however, he finally decided to purchase a drum pad (Roland S-PDS Sampling Pad) in September and to experiment with electronic music. "I'm from Columbus, Ohio, so I came here [as a first-year at Brandeis] and couldn't bring my drum set," explained Erlichman in an interview with the Justice, "and I didn't want another year of playing in a practice room with drums I didn't care for in Slosberg [Music Center]."

Erlichman's debut at Chum's is only the beginning of his percussion pursuits at Brandeis. Erlichman's beats are the soundtrack to an upcoming independent film, My Spilt Milk. The film is a student collaboration between Erlichman, Benjamin David Krause '15 and Joseph Martin Crook '15. The trailer will be released by 2013.
Erlichman was overall pleased with his first performance. "The crowd was on point. I'm just glad people showed up and [I] got good feedback. That's what I live for," he said.

Fred Berger '15, who Erlichman calls "my agent and ruthless pimp," was instrumental in making the performance happen, according to Erlichman. Berger is the Live Music Director for WBRS so he seeks local Brandeis talent to showcase on a campus stage. "Brian's a good friend of mine, and has a great taste in music. He lives with me in our suite, so I hear him practicing all the time. I respect his commitment to his music," said Berger in an interview with the Justice. "A lot of people went to his show to support him as a friend, but they emerged more than that. They instantly became fans of his music."

I agree with this statement about Erlichman's music, and the rest of the student performances in the Coffeehouse series at Chums. It is refreshing to see students who you encounter in the dining or lecture hall blossom on stage, with an audience of supportive students.
Belonging to a community that can gather on a random Wednesday night in our own college caf?(c), swaying to the eclectic beats of a musician friend is something I truly appreciate about Brandeis.