Getting Back to Normal by Matt McGann '00
...with some help from Macklemore
It has been a rough couple of weeks in Boston and at MIT. Wednesday’s memorial service for Officer Collier has helped us to heal. And tonight, we’ll take another step in getting back to normal.
Tonight is the annual MIT Spring Concert. Every April, students bring a major musical act to campus for a huge concert. Going back half a century, the MIT Spring Concert has hosted some of the biggest bands ever, including the Grateful Dead, the Beach Boys, Aerosmith, R.E.M., and more.
This year’s headliner is Macklemore. You know, this guy:
The concert will be in MIT’s Johnson Athletic Center. The band Ra Ra Riot will open the show.
While the Spring Concert is not the only venue for major bands on campus (e.g. Nirvana played at the annual Steer Roast in 1990), it has quite a list of bands that have played it:
2013: Macklemore and Ryan Lewis / Ra Ra Riot
2012: The All-American Rejects
2011: Jason Derülo / Janelle Monáe
2010: N.E.R.D. / Super Mash Bros.
2009: Ben Folds / Sara Bareilles
2008: Third Eye Blind / Howie Day
2007: Ying Yang Twins / Ozomatli
2006: CAKE / matt pond PA.
2005: Fabolous / Lloyd Banks
2004: Live / Slick Rick
2003: Jurassic 5 / OK Go
2002: Sugar Ray / Spin Doctors
2001: The Roots / Blues Traveller
2000: They Might Be Giants / Reel Big Fish
1999: Busta Rhymes
1998: Maceo Parker / Fishbone / Five Fingers of Funk
1997: Battle of the Bands (no headliner)
1996: Soul Coughing
1995: Sonic Youth
1994: Belly
1993: They Might Be Giants
1992: Violent Femmes
1991: Jesus Jones
1990: Psychedelic Furs
1989: ‘til tuesday
1987: Squeeze
1986: Ministry / Face to Face
1985: R.E.M.
1984: Cheap Trick / ’til tuesday
1983: The Tubes
1982: The Ramones
1980: Battle of the Bands (no headliner)
1977: Aztec Two-Step
1976: Don McLean
1975: The James Montgomery Blues Band
1974: Aerosmith
1973: Sha-Na-Na
1971: Chuck Berry
1970: The Grateful Dead
1969: Janis Joplin / Dave van Ronk / Chuck Berry / Julie Driscoll
1968: Jefferson Airplane
1967: The Brothers Four
1966: The Beach Boys
1965: The Rooftop Singers
1964: Maynard Ferguson
1962: Dakota Staton
1962: The Four Preps
So, here’s looking forward to a great concert and a great night at MIT.