"No party, no fun, no rights for anyone," they all shouted with the band during one song.
Webster, the other winner of Fordham's Battle of the Bands, followed with their Pearl Jam-inspired riffs. They brought 1992 to 2007 with their flannel shirts, long hair and longer beards. They also invited the crowd to their apartment on Bathgate Avenue where they claimed to have "10 kegs."
Singer-pianist Jon McLaughlin was the major opening act of the afternoon. He had played that morning on CBS' "The Early Show" in support of his new album, Indiana. McLaughlin sang his piano rock tunes and love ballads with obvious emotion; he very rarely sat on the stool behind the keyboard, instead choosing to half-stand in a contorted position for maximum intensity.
"McLaughlin was my favorite part of the concert," Dan DiPasquale, FCRH '09 said. "I would have preferred to have seen him in a poorly lit room, but he was still very good up there."
All of the opening bands led up to the premier act of the afternoon, Yellowcard. On tour in support of their 2006 release, Lights and Sounds, the pop-punk band gained widespread popularity in 2003 with Ocean Avenue. They played an even mix of old, current and new songs, plus a cover of Weezer's "Say It Ain't So."
The crowd was really able to get into their popular songs, many of which have been heard on top-40 radio stations and MTV. Students swayed and sang along with Yellowcard's love ballad, "Only One," and jumped and danced to the popular "Ocean Avenue."
"Everyone had low expectations for Yellowcard, but once they started to play, we all were able to get into it and just have a good time," Emily Pereira, FCRH '10 said.
Despite the administration's attempts to provide a secure environment for the concert (everyone was searched thoroughly at the gate), there were some small incidents. Security removed one student for fighting and another for crowd-surfing. The students who threw the apples at the band were not identified. Before playing their last song, Key did warn the crowd to "watch out for projectile apples." At this point, though, he was laughing at the incident and he thanked the crowd for their support and energy.
2008 Woodie Awards
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