There is no shortage of energy at the Java Barn. Whether it is excitement, anticipation, joy, dread, angst, euphoria or rage, you can find it at Java. Mal Maïz was a test of stamina, emitting a collective persistence to endure until the early morning hours.  

I had just finished a 14-hour-long day of literature classes, scarce meals, shopping cart theft, flutes, zoom calls, book talks and a much-needed shower. I held my wits close to my chest and started my journey to the Java Barn just before the 10:30 p.m. start time. Usually, I arrive as doors open at 10 p.m. to help with any additional setup needed or simply to entertain the bewildered staff members. But this week, I wanted to arrive after the crowds congregated– a fashionably late arrival, you could say.   

Much to my disappointment, no such crowds were in sight. Even as the night’s opener, Mariposas Galacticas, rose to the stage, the venue was filled with barely two dozen frigid audience members. It was the first “cold” Thursday of the year, just after an eventful Halloweekend, so a poor turnout was to be expected.  

Regardless, I sat in the technical booth, nursing a red solo cup of tap water in celebration of the Day of the Dead. The coincidence of Latin-rock bands on the Day of the Dead show was a complete coincidence but properly welcomed.   

Mariposas Galacticas played a decent set. Fueled by technical errors and Italian protest songs, they played as proudly as possible, considering the crowd was tamer than a Brian Eno cover band.   

After feedback squeals, silent clarinet solos and overwhelming crowd murmurs, the group left an adequate mark. The highlight was the call to action in Gaza during the triumphant chant, “From Palestine to Mexico, the border walls have got to go!” It is marveling to see a mixed-race band featuring a Jewish lead singer use their small outreach to still demand a ceasefire between Israel and the Hamas. A proper moment of political music used effectively.   

Up next was the night’s headliner, Mal Maïz. I adored their set, though it was a bit too long for a college campus performance. The crowd enlarged as the mix of psychedelic Latin jams sonically ensnared every student locked inside the barn doors. The lead singer’s buttery bass lines underscored haunting guitar solos that trailed on for several minutes. The sound mix expertly amplified the triplet grooves and sprawling synth melodies. Mal Maïz was undoubtedly one of the most technically talented musical groups to grace Java over the past semester. Each solo elevated upon the last. The light show perfectly matched the high-energy psychedelia. The on-stage chemistry was as palpable as a moist Cherry Coke.  

It is Java. It is what you expect. Nothing new, nothing old.