Ian Arthure

Ian Arthure, a 5th-semester student, played songs off his album, "Radio Nights," for an hour and a half Saturday night at the Café Under Putnam to a crowd of fans who whispered "oh, this is my favorite song" sporadically.


The Café Under Putnam (C.U.P.) is difficult to find if you're not familiar with the Hilltop area. It's located underneath the Putnam dining hall, past pool tables and an empty lounge. C.U.P. is the relatively unknown remedy to what many feel UConn is missing. The café and lounge area have an intimate coffee-shop atmosphere typically found at small liberal-arts colleges. Though the lighting could be tweaked, C.U.P. provided a relaxed environment cohesive with Arthure's music.


Arthure is Ian's middle name and stage persona. His real name, Ian Sorrentino, is too long for fans, he said. He also goes by Dr. Melody occasionally, which is the name of a guidance counselor in his high school.


"You can't major in being a rock star," Arthure said.


He has devoted himself to the craft in his room in Ellsworth, where he created a complete music studio and produced his latest CD.


Arthure, a Mansfield native, may be leaving the area to attend the Berklee School of Music. He will find out in three weeks if he will stay here, which he said is a little difficult, or at Boston's finest music school, which produced John Mayer and Steven Tyler. Arthure plans to major in songwriting and minor in studio production if accepted.


"I love it here, but at the same time every artist has a conflict with where they're from," he said.


Partway through the set, Arthure removed a Marvin Gaye T-shirt to reveal another shirt that read, "Boycott Ashlee." He then broke out into an eloquent version of Ashlee Simpson's "Pieces Of Me."


Arthure plays the drums, guitar and piano. He quit after 11 years of piano lessons.


"I quit, I have a problem with formal instruction," Arthure said

Arthure's music mimics Howie Day and Mayer, whose songs he covered at the show.


"I find my inspiration from ... well, I have this problem where I fall in love with my best friends," Arthure said.


He confessed a few songs are about his ex-girlfriend.


However, Arthure is more than just a boy with a guitar who is mad at his ex. Completely alone on stage, he sounds like a full band. His talent for the mechanics of music and music production are undeniable and allow him breathing space to interact with the crowd and seemingly have fun exposing his songs to new listeners.


His music is best heard live. It is hard to grasp his confidence and comfort with the music from his album. He is certainly a performer, aptly maneuvering the stage and maintaining eye contact with giggling girls in the audience. His songs echo his inspirations - James Taylor, Paul Simon, Guster, Ben Harper and Dispatch.


His uniqueness, however, is in his lyrics, which aren't everyday speech with obvious rhymes or overly poetic.


"In 'Shoots and Ladders,' the lyrics are the best part," said Jenn Faloretti, a senior from Eastern Connecticut State University.


His voice transforms from being breathy to loud to being slightly accented and back again.

"It's kind of like Jack Johnson," said Peter Vandenberg, a student at Long Island University and Arthure's lifelong friend.


His performance at C.U.P. was his largest show to date. He rented out a room in the Center for Undergraduate Education before and played to a much smaller audience.


Sales from his current album will fund his next project. At $10 a piece, it's worthwhile for down-tempo road trips or to download from his web site as a study soundtrack.


To play on C.U.P.'s stage, contact the manager, Fleance Booker.
"It's free and has really nice lighting," said Michelle Spitter, a 4th-semester psychology major. "It's a good place to study, too."


You can buy Arthure's CD by contacting Ian.Sorrentino@uconn.edu or download his songs from www.soundclick.com/iansorrentino.
- The Daily Campus