Swaul Pope plays his own original music at Lakeside to students and staff.
On Sept. 17, Doane’s Student Programming Board (SPB) hosted another installment in its “Coffee Shop Series.” This is a series where local musical artists come and perform in Lakeside’s coffee shop. Arts and crafts are typically available to students as well.
In this installment, Doane invited artist Swaul Pope, a folk artist who plays both piano and ukulele.
“I’m from Lincoln, Nebraska, but I’m also from wherever my feet are,” Pope said.
Pope played a variety of music, mostly his own original work, but he did have covers of the Paul Simon song “Call Me Al” and David Bowie’s “Space Oddity.”
“I would say his genre is goofball folk or psychedelic folk, I think,” Assistant Director of Campus Engagement Spencer Munson said. “You know, when he sings as a bar orchestra, it reminds me of a musician named Beirut… who plays brass instruments but does play folk music… Outside of the term folk, I wouldn’t go too far outside of it.”
The Coffee Shop series at Doane has the magnetic attraction of local artists, usually hailing from Lincoln, and this is due to Munson’s own time in the musical industry.
“He lives in my neighborhood in Lincoln,” Munson said. “I’ve worked on and off in the music scene for years, and Paul [Pope’s real first name] has always been a character who’s put on really fun shows. What I like about him is that he brings together all sorts of musicians together and does a sort of bar room orchestra, normally…”
The Coffee Shop series at Doane happens frequently, and according to Munson, there is a chance for Pope and the rest of his band to come back to Doane to perform again.
