on stage Weekends usually posed the same predicament for Harding students: what to do.While some ventured to Little Rock in search of entertainment, others stayed in Searcy looking for something to do. The Campus Activities Board (CAB) came to the rescue of these students and provided big city entertainment at the low price of $5 or “free with the Pass.” On September 6, Five Times August and Mat Kearney took over the Benson Auditorium, allowing students to go to a concert on campus. “I thought that the concert was decent,” senior Nicholas May said. “It’s nice when you don’t have to drive to Little Rock or Memphis, and those are close comparatively speaking, to go to a concert.” The unusualness of listening to a concert in the same format as one would listen to chapel gave Harding concerts their own unique feeling. “There is an atmosphere about Harding concerts that you certainly can’t get anywhere else,”May said. “It probably comes knowing that earlier that day we were all in there listening to Dr. Burks make chapel announcements while we slouched in our orange chairs uncomfortably but focused.” While great reviews were given to both bands,FiveTimes August stole the show,according to students.FiveTimes August,solely made up of singer and musician Brad Skistimas, really impressed the students with his music. According to junior Coleman Yoakum, Five Times August was “better perceived than Mat Kearney, and he sold more merchandise.” Many students echoed Yoakum’s opinion of Five Times August. “I absolutely loved Five Times August,” freshman Lacey Blair. “My roommate did, too. She even bought the CD.” Although Kearney was well received, sophomore Marisa Smith preferred Five Times August’s simpler approach. “I liked Mat Kearney’s mellow, drawling voice, but the rest of the band overpowered him a bit,” Smith said. “That’s probably why I enjoyed Five Times August more; the simplicity in having just the man and his guitar on stage made for a pleasant, easy-listening performance.” However, Mat Kearney was still a big hit. Some students were familiar with his music because several of his songs had been played on episodes of the TV show Grey’s Anatomy, as was pointed out by Kearney before he sang. Some students were starstruck by the visiting musician. May took Kearney’s water bottle from the Benson stage and put it up for sale, while former student Daniel Hoeck waited in the Heritage Lobby and cornered Kearney as he was going up stairs to take a shower. Thanks to the CAB, students were able to experience the excitement of a concert from the comfort of their own orange chapel seats. [Jodi Jordan] 20 [student life] CAB concert brings music to the Benson auditorium
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