More than 20 student performers took the stage Saturday evening, and participated in the first Coffee House Jam since the Covid pandemic began. The event, which has been a staple on the Hill for more than 15 years, was sponsored by the Holy Cross Student Council, and it hosted a range of acoustic music along with coffee, hot chocolate and other sweet treats. An organizer of the event, Religion teacher Mrs. Katie Lewis said, “I think it’s a success. The students are having fun, (and) everyone’s smiling.”

From Nirvana to the Eagles, and everything in between, the audience was captivated by talented performers. Sophomore Danielle Koster, who was part of a group which began the night said, “I performed at a school festival, (but) the vibe of (Coffee House Jam) is really different, but I really like it.”

Junior Nathan Gillihan, who performed with Koster, had never performed for any audience before, said, “Getting up there with everyone else and performing was definitely fun. I’ve never seen (Coffee House Jam) before, but I really like it and the vibe it creates.” 

Freshmen Elijah Wasmuth and Chloe Hanson, along with Sophomore Danielle Koster and Junior Nathan Gillihan opened Coffee House Jam with “The Man Who Sold the World” by Nirvana (video above).

Aside from the performers themselves, the audience also enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and seeing their peers perform. Junior Caroline Beaty said, “I just think it’s fun for everyone to show their talents, and it’s a really nice atmosphere; the free hot chocolate and treats have been so good, too.” 

An extra perk of this year’s Coffee House Jam was the new Johnny Mac’s Coffee House which was used to serve the beverages and treats. Junior Reilly Gilmore volunteered to help at the coffee house, and she said, “It’s a lot of fun making cool drinks, and having the music in the background. The music is really good.” She also explained that attendees particularly enjoyed a drink dubbed the “Austin”, named after Senior Austin Wright, which included hot chocolate, caramel syrup, whipped cream and plenty of marshmallows. 

For its first year back since 2019, Coffee House Jam was a success, and Lewis even remarked, “Maybe next year we can do it twice.”