2011 Homecoming Concert Rocks the Anderson Center

By SAMIHA ISLAM

The University of Mary Washington’s 2011 homecoming weekend started with a bang, courtesy of the annual homecoming concert featuring Taking Back Sunday, The Maine, and Bad Rabbits in the newly opened Anderson Center on Friday, Oct. 21.

Teens and college students alike lined up outside of the Anderson Center as early as 6 p.m. on Friday night for the 8 p.m. concert. While many of the older students were hoping to relive their high school years one more time with Taking Back Sunday, it was obvious most of the younger teens were there to see The Maine.

Bad Rabbits, a group that has performed at the Vans Warped Tour and Afropunk, pumped up the crowd as the opening act with an interactive, up-beat performance that included their own “Stick up Kids” and “She’s Bad.” The audience received them positively.

The Maine, a popular band originating from Tempe, Arizona, took the stage next with “Inside of You” in the midst of screaming, mostly female, fans. Their set list included “Right Girl” and “Into Your Arms” and ended with the usual throwing of water bottles and set items into the crowd, where students eagerly climbed each other to catch them.

They stood outside their tour bus for a few hours after the concert ended to give autographs and take pictures with their fans, much to the pleasure of students.

The show ended with Taking Back Sunday, whose performance was arguably the highlight of the night. Most college students are familiar with their music from their angsty middle and high school days, which was only fitting as Taking Back Sunday themselves have stumbled upon nostalgia, reunitig the outfits’ original line-up for the first time in years.

Their setlist included a mixture of older and new songs, inducing crowd-surfing and a mosh pit. Someone threw their shoe on stage at some point and lost it. Their most notable performances included the new track “Faith” and a nostalgic rendition of their biggest hit single, “MakeDamnSure.”

It’s safe to say that few left the Anderson Center disappointed.

Image courtesy of Whitney Hanlin/The Bullet