“How many people are here from the Campus Crusade for Christ?” Julie Loyd asked.
Extracting confused laughter and no responses of affirmation, the tone was set for one of the most eclectic concerts ETSU has hosted in the past several years.
Steph Taylor and Loyd launched into their two-hour set of lesbian breakup songs.
Yeah, you read that right. A little bit of a twist for God- and Carrie Underwood-crazy East Tennessee, that’s for sure.
Sponsored by the Rainbow Alliance, the Thursday night show drew between 40 to 50 people of all different stripes.
Some students walked by with what could be described as weird looks, but the semi-reluctant “oh, that’s nice” smile of a passing campus cop helped cleanse the concert of any outdated old-South feeling.
Despite the dreadful acoustics of the jagged gathering place known as The Cave, Taylor excelled from the start.
She is blessed with a sexy, sometimes angry baritone that brings to mind Alanis Morissette, except this Alanis longs for former girlfriends as opposed to the guy who played Joey on Full House.
And thank God for that, right?
Her first song, “Give Ourselves Away,” possessed the kind of passion and quirky lyricism often found on the “Garden State” soundtrack.
It received one of the more enthusiastic receptions of the night, and deservedly so. If the easy, manufactured pop song market was a bit stronger for this kind of alternative music, “Give” might be a cornerstone. It’s really that good.
The 1990’s sultry-songwriter effect definitely took hold during the middle of the concert when Taylor whipped out “Loving Expressions,” a song combining fierce lyrics with a jangly R.E.M. riff. An abrupt final note brought the loudest applause of the night to what was easily the peak song.
When she played guitar, the styles could range from beautifully sullen Wilco riffs to The Bends-era Radiohead, but Taylor kept the attention of the audience whenever she played. Her piano-based songs complemented the low booms of her voice, fusing a very balanced performance.
Loyd took something of a more energetic approach, relying on her percussive instinct to propel her through acoustic songs. Singing her stuff, she would add a bendy leg kick that added energy to her mostly straightforward approach to song writing.
Her stories of unrequited and unwanted love brought an interesting dimension to her work, and she closed with a rather funny improvisational song about her love for the fans at ETSU.
“I thought we had a really great turn-out. The performers were awesome, the music great and the general atmosphere and experience in general is something I feel tends to be sorely lacking from most campus events,” said ETSU Rainbow Alliance president Nate McConnell.
I came to review the concert wondering if anyone would even attend, and the numbers were still not particularly amazing.
Maybe this school in the Appalachian mountains is headed toward the beautiful – often dreaded – words . liberal and progressive.

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