Carnahan Quadrangle transformed into a concert venue Saturday night when Texas based indie-rocker Ben Kweller hit the stage for MU’s annual Fall Welcome Concert.
“I’m just so happy,” freshman Kathy Hintikka said. “So happy!”
Kweller had just finished playing Hintikka’s favorite song, “Sundress,” which she said it reminded her of home.
“I literally just saw him a month ago in Texas,” Hintikka said. “I’m from Austin, Texas, and so is Ben Kweller. It just makes me feel so much more at home to hear him sing the songs I know and make references to places from Austin that I recognize.”
From opening the set with grungy “Commerce, TX” to closing with pop hit “Penny on the Train Track,” Kweller proved he could woo a college audience with pounding and danceable tracks. Even the slight rain in the middle of “Fight” did not dampen the spirits of his newly won fans.
“I’ve never heard of this guy — I really just came here for the free food, free music and something to do,” freshman Chris Connor said. “But really, I’ve been surprised. If I had $15 to buy his CD, I would.”
Ben Kweller was not the only musical guest Saturday night. The two bands that opened the show for him were not mentioned on any advertisement around campus or online.
The first group to hit the stage was duo John Gurney and Andy Launder, two MU alumni who came back to serenade their alma mater with cool acoustic blues. The pair has played music together for nearly seven years since their time as fraternity brothers.
“We just really enjoy coming back to campus because it still kind of feels like home,” Gurney said. “Columbia’s music scene has really grown the past couple of years, and it’s amazing to experience that. We just love Columbia and being part of the school in this way.”
Following the pair was the upbeat group She’s A Keeper from Kansas City. The six-piece band featured a cellist and a driving sound reminiscent of a combination of Mumford and Sons and Weezer. At the request of a drummer with a striking blonde afro, the crowd got on its feet and started moving and dancing. She’s A Keeper kept the momentum with song after song of intense rhythm and powerful harmonies.
All these harmonies and fun do not come freely, though — somebody has to put in the time to make such free events possible. The College Music Committee works annually to bring the Fall Welcome Concert to MU. This branch of the Missouri Students Association is charged with the selection, financing and staffing of such events.
“The hardest part of planning the Fall Welcome Concert this year was picking an artist,” College Music Committee junior chairman Chris Chandler said. “After we did that, everything else has been going perfectly. I couldn’t ask for better weather.”
