Emory's Student Programming Council (SPC) hosted synth pop band Passion Pit for its Fall Band Party Wednesday night. More than 3,500 students attended the show, which was held on McDonough Field. The Joy Formidable, a Welsh alternative rock band, opened the show with a bang, urging fans to "wake the f--k up!" Passion Pit build on The Joy Formidable's energy, playing fan favorites like "Take a Walk" and "Sleepyhead." Flashing lights moved in time with the music, dazzling the crowd.
The band played most of their major hits and in particular incorporated several lesser-known songs from their newest album, Gossamer (2011). With brand new lighting, the band surprisingly brought a more "indie" performance to Emory. It was very high energy event for a Wednesday night. While the lesser-known songs took the audience by surprise, the band members continued to keep high energy throughout the concert.
While we at the Wheel feel that a weekend concert would have given more students the opportunity to attend, we understand that the band had a concert lined up in Florida this upcoming weekend.
We also wanted to take the occasion of a concert to recognize the immense benefit we as Emory students have derived by having a venue as spacious and acoustically impressive as McDonough Field. It serves as the site for nearly every major concert at Emory and accommodates all styles of music, from country to EDM and everything in between.
This year's Fall Band Party was well-publicized and well-organized. SPC posted flyers around campus and spread the word through Facebook and other social media, but the event gained a major publicity boost by virtue of the popularity of its headliner. At the show, SPC provided free pizza, Coca-Cola products and water for concertgoers.
SPC took measures to contract for extensive security at the gate and police officers around the field, and the screening consisted of bag checks and pat-downs.
Overall, the Fall Band Party was a huge hit with the student body. We at the Wheel appreciated SPC for bringing in bigger-named bands and for pulling together a good study break for those in need.
The above staff editorial represents the majority opinion of the Wheel's editorial board.
