Up and coming artists performed a mix of favorite country songs and original pieces despite technological difficulties during Student Activities’ annual Concert on the Quad on Friday, Sept. 6.
Due to the ongoing construction on Hillsdale’s main interim of campus, commonly known as ‘the Quad,’ SAB relocated the event to outside of Lane Hall. SAB members set up a stage, lights, coffee, and donuts and featured live music from 6 to 11 p.m.
A highlight of the night, about halfway through, senior Gregory Whalen shared his original piece, “Nineteen,” based on real stories from Marines who lost their lives in the withdrawal from Afghanistan on Aug. 26, 2021.
“I was a Marine with 1st Battalion 8th marines in Afghanistan for the evacuation,” Whalen said. “The song ‘Nineteen’ is very loosely based on some of those details and is meant to be a memorial to all 13 who were killed.”
Whalen said performing ‘Nineteen’ at Concert on the Quad was one of his first live performances, besides sharing it with family and friends and once at Rough Draft.
“It is always a kind of gamble playing that song live because I never know for sure how I myself will react,” Whalen said. “The emotions attached to that experience are still just under the surface.”
The song’s verses imitate would be letters that a husband wrote to his newly wed wife.
“I wish I could be there, and hold the woman I love,
And our soon to be baby girl.
She’s gonna steal my whole world.
. . . I can’t wait to come home.”
In verses five and six, the climax hits with the reality the listener has dreaded: news of the soldier’s death.
“I guess that you’ve heard by now, the news comin’ from the tv.
There was a bomb last night,
And I ain’t alright.
I’m finally comin’ home, not the way I planned, not the way you want.
All that you’ll get of me,
The red, white and blue folded nice and neat.”
Whalen concludes the song with the heavy words:
“. . . Never thought I’d die at nineteen
I was just nineteen.”
Whalen said he wrote the song in dedication to the men who gave their lives and hoped to honor the memory of those 13 killed in the evacuation.
“I hope to inspire a greater awareness and sense of responsibility for what we do as a country,” Whalen said. “The currency that our government deals in is human lives, and we all need to take that seriously.”
Whalen said “Nineteen” is one of three songs he wrote dedicated to the evacuation, and all three are on the major music platforms under “Greg Whalen” or “American Deployed.”
Immediately before Whalen, senior Isaac Green also debuted an original, but he was robbed of the full performance when the sound cut out in the middle of his performance. This was the second time of the night the sound had failed during Green’s performance. Green said he was confused when it first happened but wasn’t too concerned.
“I thought, ‘oh somebody must have just tripped over the power cord and they’ll have it back up and running soon.’” Green said. “I thought it might be the end of the set since the event was already running a little behind, but they let me keep going once they got power back, which was very nice of them.”
Green said he wrote his original at the request of his sister-in-law and performed it at their wedding to surprise his brother.
Green said he used his sister-in-law’s written vows for inspiration of facing life together–a major theme of the lyrics.
“We made it home my dear
And I only wanna sail along if you will help me steer.”
But audio cut out again in the middle of Green’s performance.
“When the audio went out for the second time in the middle of the original, I just leaned my head back, laughed, and thought, ‘well that’s probably the end of this set,’” Green said. “It would have been fun to play the whole thing, but I wasn’t too worried about it. I had a great time, and there will be plenty of other opportunities to perform it in the future.”
Event team lead and senior Abby Richardson said the breakers were switching off because of dew exposure which was interfering with the sound. Eventually, SAB members resorted to setting up speakers and blasting the volume from the front instead of all around the designated area.
Besides the technical difficulties, SAB members said they made adaptations from previous years to enhance the experience. The night presented 12 performances instead of the traditional eight. SAB also ordered more cinnamon donuts, Ingrid Dornbirer, director of student activities said.
“The cinnamon donuts always go faster than the plain,” Dornbirer said. “So we were prepared this time.”
Students packed the designated space for most of the evening. Senior Hannah Arends said Concert on the Quad is her favorite SAB event.
“It’s the perfect fall kickoff,” Arends said. “I love going with my friends, and it was especially sweet this year with it being our last time.”
Green also shared Arends sentiment, despite the technology issues.
“Even with the technical difficulties, it was probably still my favorite Concert on the Quad experience yet,” Green said. “SAB did a fantastic job with the set up near Lane. It’s just a really cozy and beautiful location. And all the other performers I saw did a great job with their sets.”