CoffeeHouse Series Continues at Penn College

By Tara Kowaleski College Information/Community Relations Intern

The Spring 2003 CoffeeHouse Series of Tuesday-night musical performances is under way at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

The series, which runs through April 29, is sponsored by the Student Activities office at Penn College. All of the performances, which are free and open to the public, begin at 8 p.m. The shows are presented either at the CoffeeHouse, located on the first floor of the Bush Campus Center, or at Penn's Inn, located on the second floor of the Campus Center.

The remaining shows in the Spring 2003 series are: Jim's Big Ego on Feb. 4, UrbanMuse on Feb. 25, Ryan Adcock on March 25, the Clayton Miller Blues Band on April 1, Sara Wheeler on April 15, and Adam Richman on April 29.

Jim's Big Ego is a trio of musicians on drums, upright bass and guitar. The group's fusion of styles has been likened to Soul Coughing, Ani DiFranco, G. Love and Beck. Jim's Big Ego was founded by former National Academy of Songwriters Artist of the Year Jim Infantino.

UrbanMuse is a group of singer-songwriters who perform both individually and collectively. The group was started by Jo Davidson and Jenny Bruce as a means for singers and songwriters to gain information and a sense of inspiration. UrbanMuse has developed into a touring company in which eight women perform on a rotating schedule. Amy Speace and Bruce will perform this year at the CoffeeHouse.

Adcock's love of highway travel is reflected in his lyrics; he derives many of his song ideas from traveling. Music critics named the Ohio native the best singer-songwriter and best rock vocalist in Cincinnati. Adcock's newest CD, "From Silence and Joy," has elevated his music career.

The Clayton Miller Blues Band consists of a father and his three sons. The sons' ages range from 9 to the early 20s. The band has opened for artists such as Kenny Wayne Shepard, Buddy Guy and Ricky Skaggs. In addition to performing at colleges, the band has played at clubs and festivals.

A graduate of Boston's Berklee College of Music, Wheeler is a prominent singer-songwriter with four CDs to her credit. Wheeler has lived in Japan and Switzerland, and her music has been influenced by world travel. She's performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival and recorded vocals with the London Session Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios. In America, she performs extensively on college campuses. Wheeler was nominated as College Coffeehouse Performer of the Year in 2000. She performs both as a solo acoustic guitarist and with the Sara Wheeler Band.

On his 19th birthday, Richman celebrated the release of his debut recording, "Two." For this release, he turned college dorm rooms, as well as the apartments he called his temporary home, into his recording studio. A regular in the Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia music circuit, Richman has performed with such groups as The Roots, Good Charlotte and Antigone Rising. Be sure to check him out as he closes the CoffeeHouse Series with what promises to be a great performance.

For more information about the Spring 2003 CoffeeHouse Series musical performances at Penn College, call (570) 327-4537, or visit on the Web.