Sab Hosted The Wakey! Wakey! Front Man In Their Concert In A Tent
On Friday, April 11, the university’s Student Activities Board (SAB) held their Concert in a Tent event with artist Michael Grubbs, the frontman of indie pop band Wakey!Wakey!.
Grubbs was actually a replacement. Originally, Tyler Hilton had been scheduled to appear, but a movie role came up that he couldn’t turn down. In exchange, the former “One Tree Hill” star sent Grubbs, also a former “One Tree Hill” guest star.
Krista Varanyak, a junior, was originally very disappointed by Hilton’s cancellation. She said, “I originally planned on going because Tyler Hilton was playing, but a week or so ago, Meg McGowan said he wasn’t able to come anymore. She said they had the option between Wakey!Wakey! and another act. I’d like to think that I’m the reason she ended up choosing Wakey!Wakey!. I’ve been a fan of his since he was on ‘One Tree Hill’ and bought his CD immediately after hearing it.”
Rachael Brady, a junior, also came to the concert because of her familiarity with “One Tree Hill,” which went off the air in 2012. Brady said, “My favorite part was him playing some of the songs that he performed on the show. It was a really cool experience to have these songs I originally saw on television be played for me live by the actual performer himself.”
The concert took place on the Residential Quad in a large white tent. Inside, there were white couches and neon lights which helped the show have an intimate club vibe. Attendees were treated to lemonade and cupcakes while they waited for Wakey!Wakey!, who was a little late due to traffic.
Heidi Merrill was the opening act for the night. Though it didn’t seem like many attendees knew who she was, they seemed to thoroughly enjoy her performance.
Zoe Bulitt, a junior, found herself enjoying Merrill’s performance even though it was her first time hearing the artist. “Heidi was actually terrific. I got her CD so I’m excited to listen to it,” Bulitt said.
Merrill shook hands with audience members and gave out free CDs to anyone who wanted one.
When Grubbs arrived and took the stage, it seemed like the (mostly female) crowd was buzzing with anticipation. He was greeted by uproarious applause.
I personally hadn’t heard of Grubbs before the concert. I knew he was from “One Tree Hill,” and I remembered the show having a particularly good soundtrack. I really can’t express enough how much I had my expectations exceeded.
Grubbs didn’t have the rest of his band to perform with him. It was just him and his keyboard, but he kept the energy high throughout the show. Aside from a voice that was amazing and killer piano skills, Grubbs just has a stage presence. It’s something that’s hard for a lot of musicians to manage, but Grubbs is a natural onstage. He immediately launched into stories about his life and his songs that made even unfamiliar audience members feel like friends. He even asked the audience if he had missed any songs that they wanted to hear. Someone shouted out a request that he’d never played solo, but he gave it his best shot. It sounded fantastic.
Bulitt, a theatre major, loved his witty banter with the audience. “My favorite part of the show was when Michael Grubbs would tell us stories to go along with his songs. It made it seem like he really cared about talking to us and being there to perform for us,” Bulitt said.
Brady, a music industry major, was a fan of Grubbs beforehand. Aside from loving the intimate setting after the show, she loved having the opportunity to talk to the performer post-show.
Brady said, “I loved meeting him after the show. He was very down to earth and personable and I had a great time talking to him.”
Grubbs stayed after the show to sign autographs and take photos with students.
Wakey!Wakey! and Heidi Merrill both have music available on iTunes.
PHOTO TAKEN from mtv.com
