This article was originally written by Nick Brazzoni and appeared in The Badger Herald on September 2, 2015. It has been republished with the author’s permission.
We knew Wisconsin starting quarterback Joel Stave could throw a football, but did we know the redshirt senior could sing? Maybe.
Did we know Stave could sing while wearing cargo shorts?
Definitely not.
Alas, Stave has shown his various talents extend beyond the football field, as a recently surfaced video shows him and his brother Bryan Stave performing a cover of Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran’s “Everything Has Changed.”
While his brother is at the forefront of the performance, boasting lead vocals with incredible falsetto and a smooth series of chords on the guitar, Joel makes some key contributions as he adds in some harmonies during the hook and a steady beat on the bongos.
And this isn’t singing Joel Stave’s only performance — he’s also featured on another one of his brother’s videos performing an original song, “Tonight.” It carries a similar structure with Bryan on the lead vocals and guitar, and Joel adding in harmonies. The quarterback adds in some piano playing on top of his bongos, further proving his versatility as a musician and overall human being.
Even though Joel’s vocal performance is crisp and his bongo playing is top notch, his stage presence could use a bit of work — a simple smile or two throughout the performance could have helped lighten the mood a bit.
Nevertheless, Joel will likely wait to work on his stage presence till a much later date, as the quarterback and UW football team have a big matchup with No. 3 Alabama approaching this Saturday night in Arlington, Texas to open the 2015 regular season.
And hopefully, for the sake of Badger fans everywhere, Stave proves he’s as gifted with his arm as he is with his vocal chords.
