When we asked alumni about their favorite college-year bands, the answers ran the gamut. Here is a selection:
“Janis Joplin. There were AMAZING sounds emanating from U-Hall the four years before I graduated in 1971, but she was ABSOLUTELY the best. When fans went crazy and security swarmed the stage, she famously shouted to them ‘Get the f*** off my stage,’ bringing the house down.” —Trip Lynch (Col ’71)
Dozens of alumni from the ’90s through the ’10s noted local outfit Dave Matthews Band, including Sara Habibian (Nurs ’95), who shared this memory: “I was one of the ones who got to pay $5 to see them play at Trax every Tuesday night, and Dave would have to give us rides back home to our dorms after because the buses didn’t run that late and we had no car because it was first semester of first year and my friends and I were pretty much the only people there.” David Henley (Col ’02) shared: “When they played Scott Stadium in Spring 2001, it was epic. Such a huge event that engrossed the whole of Grounds and the C’ville community. It was the ultimate concert of my time at UVA.” Several alumni also mentioned the Boyd Tinsley Trio, before Tinsley joined DMB.
Corks & Curls
About 50 alumni from the mid-’70s to the late ’80s wrote in about the Skip Castro Band, including Susan Richardson Powell (Nurs ’84), who shared this: “Of course Skip Castro! My boyfriend (a ‘townie’ and now husband of 32 years!) was a friend of theirs so we went to see them play all the time. So much fun! My husband still has one of their original T-shirts. He won’t wear it to keep it nice. ;-)”
Corks & Curls
“So hard to pick just one; ugh. I’ll pick Jimmy Buffett.”—Hena Hasan (Col ’89)
Corks & Curls
Several alumni from the 1950s through 1970 wrote in about jazz titan Louis Armstrong.
Listen for yourself
“The Replacements. I remember seeing them at Trax in 1986. Other favorite shows: Talking Heads (pictured, U-Hall ca. 1983); Grateful Dead (Richmond, Norfolk, Merriweather), Elvis Costello (’83); King Sunny Ade (Mem Gym ca. ’82); The Fleshtones (St. Anthony Hall ’82). Lots of great music!”—Christopher Marston (Arch ’86)
Corks & Curls
“Loved Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran (still do!). In 2013, my Dabney hallmate (Kathleen Hanley [Engr ’17]) and I went to see the Red Tour at JPJ where Ed was her opening act. Such a fun way to kick off my first few weeks at UVA!”
—Ashley Kate Kesler (Col ’17)
Mina Pirasteh
The Rolling Stones had fans both in the 1960s and much later, including Rebecca Shields (Col ’01) and William Buchanan Dunavant (Col ’20)
Dan Addison
What was your favorite band or concert when you were on Grounds? Share in the comments below.
For our next issue:
What was the must-have fashion piece while you were at UVA? Tell us about it at uvamag.com/timecapsules, and we’ll select some to run in the Summer magazine.
