The Loft was packed the night of Oct. 10. Perhaps it was the draw of free pizza that brought in the crowd, but as likely as that possibility may be, it may have also been that night’s performer: one Wilson Sadowski. Name ring a bell? That might be because he just so happens to be a sophomore here at Wheaton. Considering that as a student, the school paid him to perform, well, expectations were pretty high.
The evening started out with a performance by the flannel-clad Gentlemen Callers, of which Sadowski is a member. Not a bad deal, being the headliner and also a part of your opening act. After the GCs finished their two standard numbers, Sadowski shed the flannel for a classier solo look and picked up his guitar. He opened with an original song entitled “I Woke Up,” followed by a cover of the song “Crazy,” which is exactly what it drove the crowd. Possibly.
Following another original song that he wrote last year, Sadowski invited his “friends” up on stage with him (friends is in quotes not under the assumption he has none and that these were just people who happened to show up with instruments and/or musical ability, but rather because they were called as such – perhaps because Wilson Sadowski and groupees doesn’t roll off the tongue the same way, but I digress). These friends included freshmen Asher Trout on saxophone, Drew Sencabaugh on drums, and Sophia Darby and Molly Connelly on vocals, though based solely on talent, one might not guess any of them were mere freshies.
Now less lonely on the Loft’s stage, Sadowski and friends performed a few more original songs – the first of which was about his least favorite month: March. Perhaps not the typical subject matter of most music, but you must admit, it is a lousy month. After this number, the stage soon held even more people with the celebration of a few birthdays in the crowd – complete with a cake from the Whims.
Soon, however, his freshmen friends fled the stage, leaving one back up vocalist for a song. And then there were none, but that was okay with Sadowski, as he confessed his love for an audience member with the “sappy love song,” “I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You” (jokingly, mind you).
He then handed the spotlight and his guitar over to Sophia Darby for one of her original songs – a song about one thing all college students love but never actually get: sleep. With this promising start as a freshman, it may be safe to assume we have not seen the last of her musical talents on campus. The two of them performed one other song together that had been recorded in Cole Chapel a few days prior.
For the final stretch of the evening, the remaining friends gradually made their way back to the stage for another original and a few more covers. After the success of this paid performance so early in their Wheaton careers, the sky’s the limit for Wilson Sadowski and friends.