For the first time in over a year, Lafayette is hosting Coffee House, a variety show to showcase different student artist performances. Guitar teacher Traci Bolton sponsors the event, which is hosted by Tuesday Night Rock Band.

“The most special thing is we’re actually having it. We didn’t get to last year. We missed being able to play live desperately last year. Also, we have a couple of original songs [that will be performed], which we don’t always have, that’s a whole new level of creativity,” Bolton said.

Coffee House will take place on Thursday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. in the Commons. Admission is $5 and will go towards the guitar program.

“[The money] helps us purchase things for our jam bands and rock bands. When we need amplifiers, cables, new heads for our drum set, new microphones for the vocalists or sound system repair things, that fund helps us keep the jam and rock bands running.” Bolton said

In addition to students who auditioned for Coffee House, Tuesday Night Rock Band, Monday Jam Band and Wednesday Jam Band will also all be performing.

Tuesday Night Rock Band will open and close the event and introduce each artist performing.

Senior Rachel Vishion, one of three vocalists in Tuesday Night Rock Band, said, “[Rehearsals] are always just fun. Bolton just throws us up there and is like ‘alright, introduce this act now, go’. It’s not a chore, it’s fun. It’s nice to be a part of something. I’m very excited because it’s been something I’ve done since freshman year, it’s almost a tradition at this point. Mrs. Bolton always does a great job of including everyone and making sure everyone feels welcome. It’s a way for students here to express themselves in their own little acoustic way.”

In previous years, coffee and snacks have been served, but this year, out of caution and COVID-19 restrictions, these will not be available.

Freshman Blake Jaycox said, “It’s going to be an awesome experience, there’s a bunch of different people performing. Sadly, there’s not going to be coffee this year but it’ll still be worth it.”

For Jaycox, this will be his first time experiencing and performing at Coffee House. While his brother, junior Logan Jaycox, is a guitarist in Tuesday Night Rock Band, Coffee House didn’t occur last year so Blake isn’t sure what to expect.

In addition to performing in Monday and Wednesday Jam Bands, Blake will be performing with junior Matthew Duncan with an original song that they wrote.

“When Matthew and I did our audition the other day, I didn’t feel 100% comfortable yet with the song we wrote but we made it so that means it was good. Matthew wrote the guitar parts and I wrote the vocal parts and then he’ll bring his guitar and we’ll practice after school sometimes,” Jaycox said.

Bolton is looking forward to this year’s Coffee House to showcase the many different voices of Lafayette in a relaxed setting.

“There are [about] 20 different acts that will be performing in an acoustic-like setting, like if you were sitting at a coffeehouse listening to an open-mic night. We’re going to have a vocalist with an acoustic guitar, a small band setup, some rapping, all kinds of different performances. One of the fun things about it is every performance is a new person and a new sound so you get to hear a bunch of little samples of the student population,” she said.