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With a handful of alumni on the roster, the band Chillum is tuned for success. Chillum plays what drummer Jason Ojalvo ’92 calls “acoustic campfire lounge-groove pop” and has been called the missing link between the Grateful Dead and popular boy bands. The group, which released a CD last December, has staged performances at popular Manhattan venues, including Shine, Gaslight, and Sidewalk Cafe.
“Going to a college with a good arts program and only a few students in that program allowed me to perform more,” Ojalvo says. “We could play every weekend and not worry about the competition.”
Four alumni flank Ojalvo during the group’s evening performances. Chris Hutchison ’91 is an actor by day but flaunts his vocals and acoustic guitar skills by night. He also writes the band’s original songs. Brother and fellow actor Brian Hutchison ’93 assists with vocals, and Joe Tosolt ’91, who serves as marketing director for Innovative Office Solutions, an Easton, Pa., company, plays electric piano. Whelan Mahoney ’94 takes the stage on occasion as guest saxophone player.
“We are all old friends,” says Ojalvo. “It’s only one-hundredth as rewarding to play in a band with random people. The friendship vibe really comes across when we’re on stage.”
Ojalvo recently opened the doors of Fluidity Fitness, LLC, in New York. Highlighted in magazines like Fitness and Elle, his fitness routine combines yoga and pilates, a conditioning program that improves muscle control, flexibility, coordination, strength, and tone. He is working to expand Fluidity to more New York health clubs and hopes to take the routine national.
“My one semester of engineering has come in handy, since I’m helping design fitness equipment,” says Ojalvo. “Lafayette prepared me by providing a well-rounded liberal arts education.”
For more on the band, check out their web site at www.chillum.net.