Mae day
UPB’S free Centennial concert draws in new, old fan of Va. Beach band Saturday
Posted on March 17, 2008
In front of the flashing cameras and cell phone lights that lit up Wilson Hall, Mae took the stage Saturday night as part of a free concert for JMU’s Centennial Celebration. Mae, a five-member band from Virginia Beach, called their JMU concert the unofficial kick-off of their new tour.
As Mae took the stage, the crowd roared and those not already at the front of the stage jumped to their feet. The fans who had seen Mae before knew they were in for a great show.
Senior J.R. Mondell attended the concert with his father. Mondell has been a fan of Mae for over four-and-a-half years and listens to them on a regular basis.
“You’re not going to hear what you hear on the CD,” Mondell said. “That’s what makes their shows enjoyable.”
Mae played songs from all three of their CDs, including their newest album Singularity, which was released in August. Some of the songs Mae played included “Brink of Disaster,” “ Just Let Go,” “Waiting” and “Suspension.”
“The word ‘singularity’ means the ultimate unknowable,” guitarist Zach Gehring said.
As the band rocked Wilson Hall, a slide show played behind them capturing the eyes of the audience. Audience members followed the streets of cities and soared through space with pictures that were synced to the musical beats. Many of the pictures were related to science, relating to the band’s link between the known and unknown.
According to Gehring, the band has worked with projection before and they knew what they wanted to do with the pictures.
“It was a strong effort by everyone, on top of the tour,” Gehring said. “It was a collaborative effort.”
Throughout their performance, singer-guitarist Dave Elkins called for the audience to sing along, and soon the voices of the audience resonated throughout the auditorium. The audience could be seen bouncing to the melodic sounds of the band, and as every song finished, the crowd was immediately greeted with the start of new song.
For some attendees, this was their first time hearing Mae. Sophomore Erika Christian became a fan after the show.
“I loved it,” she said. “It was an amazing concert. My friend’s a big fan and now I’m hooked.”
Freshman Angela Marino is also hooked, as Saturday night’s performance was the 11th time she has seen Mae in concert.
The fact that UPB put on the concert for free was a big incentive for concertgoers. Senior John Kronstain was excited that JMU was able to bring Mae to campus.
“I heard they were awesome live, and I can’t turn down seeing an awesome band for free,” he said.
The show opened with Dear Dear, a band of three JMU students and one VCU student. During their first song, members of the crowd rushed to the front of the stage as the colored lights radiated from behind the band.
“This night was a dream come true,” singer-guitarist Lisa Puckett said.. Being a big Mae fan herself, being able to open for them was great experience.
As Mae concluded the final song of their set, the members of the band left the stage to a crowd who demanded more. After coming back to play a two-song encore, the band thanked the audience who in response received a roaring ovation. As cell phones swayed to the final lyrics, Elkin shouted to the crowd, “I don’t think I ever smiled so much on stage.”
