Students filled tables and were tapping their toes as this year’s first Student Musician Series performance, Lotus Eater, rocked Scooter’s during convo hour Thursday.

Lotus Eater played a collection of its own songs as well as a few covers, like the Beatles’ “Lady Madonna.” Andrew Smith, lead guitar and vocalist, said his band appreciates the opportunity to promote their music.

“I like that pretty much any artist at St. Thomas can get a gig here, even if they’re not very experienced,” Smith said. “They can sign up for a show, play in front of people and know what that feels like. We play in front of students that we never see, and hopefully get some fans and sell some CDs.”

SMS is a weekly event organized by St. Thomas Activities and Recreation, and it showcases all types of musical talent from the St. Thomas community.

“The concept of SMS is for students to have a good time and listen to good music,” STAR intern Ashleigh Hayes said.

Each week a new musician or band is invited to play and STAR welcomes all musical talents and genres.

“It ranges from people who just bring their guitar to a whole band set-up,” Hayes said. “It’s a fairly wide variety.”

This semester will feature many artists and types of music, including an acoustic Celtic bluegrass performance, Hayes said.

With SMS, Scooter’s could be the place to be during convo hour on Thursdays.

“It’s convenient to come to Scooter’s,” said sophomore Robbie Gooding after the concert. “You can grab something to eat and enjoy free music.”

And it’s a great experience for the performers.

“The show went well. It felt good,” Smith said. “You can forget all your worries and just play. It’s great.”

Sally Schreiber can be reached at sfschreiber@stthomas.edu