Arts and Entertainment
Anderson appears again, duo wows
By Diana Jordan '14, Arts & Entertainment Contributor
September 8, 2011
Last Thursday night, CAB kicked off the Acoustic Coffeehouse Series with duo Hannah and Maggie and the much-loved, returning solo act Danielle Ate The Sandwich.
Loyal fans and curious listeners alike gathered in the Fillius Events Barn where they found hot Chai, cocoa, and Opus cookies waiting for them.
The opening act of the night, Hannah & Maggie, played a mix of songs from their album Fine Without You and incorporated songs by other songwriters into their set. This quirky folk duo, hailing from Smith College in Northampton, Mass., sounds like Corinne Bailey Rae meeting Sarah Silverman. Their sweet vocals and great harmonies put everyone at ease.
However, when they weren’t busy singing or tuning their guitars, they loved to joke around. Their awkward humor (“Chapstick, anyone?”) and silly stories, such as one about shocking a professor with a Rihanna cover, kept the audience from nodding off in between numbers. Together, they managed to rile up the audience before Danielle Anderson—who performs under the moniker Danielle Ate The Sandwich—walked on stage and pleasantly surprised everyone with her powerful voice.
Of course, last Thursday night, was not her first time playing at the College. She opened for Julie Peel during last year’s Acoustic Coffeehouse Series and was so well-received that CAB invited her back this year as a headliner.
But for a one-woman show, Anderson packs quite the punch—not just in terms of her musical chops but also her wide-ranging lyrics.
In her album Two Bedroom Apartment, she seems to sing about whatever comes to her mind—from a love song that takes the difficult perspective of a pair of hot dogs to the more serious relationship between her mother and her grandfather, who died when her mother was only 17.
Anderson noted that she needs to write silly songs to prevent herself from becoming too serious. As to what her moniker means, it more or less plays into that exact vein of not taking herself too seriously; the name doesn’t mean anything at all—Anderson just liked how it sounded.
Although she clearly seems at home during these small coffeehouse performances, Anderson admits to dreaming of something bigger.
“I think my music is best kept in small venues, but I do want to be thought of as a great songwriter,” she said.
When asked about her monetary goals, Anderson remained as down-to-earth as ever.
“I mean, I want a lot, and I’d love a lot,” she admitted, “but I don’t need a lot.”