The sun setting, the wind howling, the first-years prowling… ‘twas another Java Thursday. Some say two outstanding shows within one week was not doable, yet the Java crew bolstered all expectations. After a stellar rock act last Saturday from Neon Trees’ headliner Moxie, the Java venue set a rather high bar for their first Thursday performance, headlined by two sets from Vermont-based indie band Earthworm.  

Earthworm gained notoriety over the past few months while touring in and around the Burlington, Vermont area. The quartet are all University of Vermont students who won their university’s Battle of the Bands last spring. Thanks to their triumphant victory and the promotional help of Fresh Pressed BTV, a collaborative organization helping to highlight local Burlington artistic talents, Earthworm ended up opening at UVM’s 2023 Springfest ahead of indie-pop band Saint Motel and Grammy-snubbed pop sensation Remi Wolf. Since the festival, the band has continued to tour across Burlington’s popular venue hotspots like The Publishing House and Nectar’s, where Earthworm recorded their first live EP, “We’ll Never Leave This Room.”  

Earthworm’s folk-country-rock sound imbues and embodies the youthful, sunshine, free-willing spirit of the North Country’s significant student population, from St. Lawrence University Adirondack background to the UVM’s flourishing forestry. And yet, something felt off last Saturday. The crowd shrunk to half the size of Moxie’s opening night. The vibe split in twine. There was also a hole in the regular Java staff when two members decided to “take the night off,” to quote one of the two missing members. The upbeat audience of traditional shows must have stayed home because the energy in that heralded barn felt weaker than a Sunday bingo night hosted by Ben Stein and Walter Cronkite. Amidst a string of Earthworm’s folk-forward tunes, both lead singers had to continuously remind the audience that the rhythm and zeal would pick up in the second set.  

Boy, did it. The leering crowd huddled in and partied along to the interlude playlist of 2000s pop bangers like Estelle’s “American Boy” and Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind.” Finally, the energy returned. The audience stood hyped as Earthworm approached the stage for their next 45-minute-long set. Much of the vitality was fueled by a few front-row members of the Dub who brought two different signs featuring the full lyrics to the band’s only released single, “Dear God.” These superfans were head-banging, arms-flailing, and emotion-spewing goddesses of perfect crowd energy. They even got to take a group photo with the band after the show.  

All in all, it was not one of the most consistent Java shows– nor was it a disappointment in any regard. Truthfully, that is the excitement of a Java show: the uncertainty. Autumn Nealis ’25, one of the Java House’s most instrumental members (pun intended), expresses that the concert “was chaotic… difficult to navigate, but we made it the best we could.” That is frankly as much as we can ask from the humble Java family. Sometimes, the most chaotic Java shows can still create a memorably charmed night of artistic collaboration and frivolity-fueled fun for the whole campus.