Homecoming Concert 2012

Swirling glow sticks and colorful spotlights lit up a crowd of nearly 3,500 at the Centennial Center at last week’s Homecoming concert.

The concert had a good mix of music genres, offering students country with opening act Eric Dodd and alternative rock with headliner Third Eye Blind.

Haley Rodgers, a junior exercise science major, says that she was very pleased with the bands selected for this year’s concert.

“I think that having country and alt. rock as the genres were far more appropriate for Georgia College than having rappers,” Rodgers said. “The selections of the musicians were excellent because Eric Dodd was a fantastic performer and everybody knows at least some Third Eye Blind.”

With combined ticket sales to non-students and GC students alike, a total of 172 alumni tickets, 460 student/faculty/staff tickets and 83 general admission tickets being sold. The Centennial Center was nearly filled to capacity for the annual concert. Anticipation hung heavily in the room as GC students took to the stage to warm up the crowd with free T-shirt giveaways.

Starting off the night was Georgia College alumnus and country music singer, Eric Dodd. In a press conference before the concert he said that it meant a lot to him to be able to play at his alma mater.

“It means a lot, like I said I have roots here,” Dodd said. “I spent two great years at Georgia College, have a lot of friends here still (and) a lot of friends will be coming to town just to see me play the centennial center that we used to watch basketball games in. So it’s really nostalgic and its going to be a lot of fun.”

Dodd started out his performance with “All I Need,” from his new album “Time to Decide.” His set list included songs from the new album as well as two cover songs by Amos Lee and Counting Crows. Dodd said he was very pleased with how the show turned out.

“We really felt good about our set, and our band really embraced the large crowd in the audience,” Dodd said. “It’s always rewarding to play our own material, and the GC crowd was really receptive to it and (I) noticed many singing the words- that’s an indescribable feeling”

Lauren Lee, a sophomore exercise major, says she really enjoyed the performance by Eric Dodd, but felt that they weren’t the typical band that usually plays Homecoming shows.

“I really liked their music, but I think we should have gotten more of a pump up band for Third Eye Blind,” Lee said.

Kicking off the performance with “Thanks A Lot,” 90s alternative rock outfit Third Eye Blind pumped up the crowd with its high-energy stage presence. Lead guitarist Kryz Reid says that the band is currently working on its new album, which is set to be released this year.

 

“We are in the studio at the moment, so we are kind of putting the finishing touches to the writing process of the new album,” Reid said. “We are really looking at guitar sounds and stuff like that.”

Third Eye Blind mixed up the show with old favorites like “Jumper,” “Never Let You Go,” and an encore performance of “Semi-Charmed Life” and “Bonfire.” The performance also included a sped-up version of “Monotov’s Private Opera,” off of the band’s more recent album, “Ursa Major.”

Lori Nichlos, a sophomore biology major, says that she really enjoyed Third Eye Blind’s performance.

“I thought it was actually a really good performance,” Nichlos said. “I didn’t actually think it was going to be that good because they’re outdated.”

Posted by Lauren Davidson on Feb 16 2012. Filed under Features, Lead stories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.