#TBT: Singers in Stepan

Lindsey Lonergan

The Stepan Center walls have seen it all. From flu shots to first year formals, the dome of the east can proudly say that it’s multifunctional. Aside from being an SYR location, on Friday, April 1 the Stepan Center opened its doors to singer Tai Verdes and indie band Peach Tree Rascals — and, don’t be fooled, this was not a joke. 

From hit songs “A-O-K” to “Stuck in the Middle,” Verdes gave students a show that would top their “LAst dAy oN EaRTh.” The irony of his hit song “Let’s go to Hell '' was not lost on the students of this Catholic institution. 

The Peach Tree Rascals opened for Verdes, performing their song “Mariposa.” The alternative group instantly awoke the audience with their high energy performance. The irony of their new release titled “Song From Hell” was, again, not lost.

The university’s SUB committee organized this concert to provide a little sound to the South Bend community. The “SOS,” or Sound of Sub’s, annual spring concert was — as it always is — noteworthy. 

In the April 2006 issue of Scholastic, “Behind the Scenes,” author Michael O’Connor wrote about country music star Pat Green’s live performance in Stepan Center. Even in 2006, there was some hesitation about the venue for the show. “Stepan, often viewed as a campus eyesore and a questionable venue, can deter some students from taking a concert seriously,” O’Connor said. Additionally, the shape of the building itself provides a “challenging sound” for performers. However, Green’s large fanbase made Stepan feel like “a premier sold-out arena,” and his vocals reached the 1,100 members in the audience. With the success of this show, Tai Verdes and the Peach Tree Rascals can thank successful concerts like Green’s for christening the venue, and for bringing them here today. 

https://archives.nd.edu/Scholastic/VOL_0147/VOL_0147_ISSUE_0011.pdf