{"id":1439,"date":"2026-04-17T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T08:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/2026\/04\/17\/2026-04-17-in-concert-at-the-grove\/"},"modified":"2026-10-06T23:08:47","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T23:08:47","slug":"2026-04-17-in-concert-at-the-grove","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/2026\/04\/17\/2026-04-17-in-concert-at-the-grove\/","title":{"rendered":"In concert at the\u00a0Grove"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Mia Gallagher<\/a> · Celebrate 150 Correspondent<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Simon
Simon and Garfunkel performed at the college in 1966. \u2014 ARTOFIT<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Throughout Grove City College\u2019s 150-year history, countless political leaders, prominent theologians and talented artists have graced campus with their presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among those famous figures were some of the 20th century\u2019s musical greats. From big band and jazz musicians, 1960s superstars like Simon and Garfunkel and hard rockers of the 1970s to contemporary Christian acts, the performances hosted here reflect campus life throughout the years and the culture of the times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe famous figures who have visited campus give a glimpse into student life. It shows the style of music students were listening to, the culture of campus at the time,\u201d Director of College Archives and Galleries Hilary Walczak \u201909 said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven today, when I listen to Simon and Garfunkel, I envision the 1960s, and it\u2019s so cool to think that they performed here on campus. Or that my dad was a freshman when Alice Cooper performed on campus — and he got to experience that show,\u201d Walczak said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Walczak, the college has brought musical artists to campus since the beginning. The earliest concerts were small-scale, usually taking place during dances and similar events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe more famous artists started in the \u201960s when a student concert committee formed. This was also when artists were touring the country more and often did so on college campuses. It\u2019s where many of the major artists would get their starts,\u201d Walczak said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student leaders were the driving force behind booking these acts. At the time, SGA and the student concert committee worked together to recruit artists and prepare for their arrival, which on occasion included picking the artist up from the Pittsburgh airport themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the years, the college has put together an impressive lineup of musical guests, from Louis Armstrong (1959) and Dizzy Gillespie (1963) to Kansas (1975) and The Outlaws (1978). In more recent years, prominent Christian artists like the Newsboys (1994 and 2015), Andrew Peterson (2024) and Strings & Hearts (2025) have also graced the Grove City community with their impressive discographies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The shows live on in memory \u2013 and in The Collegian\u2019s archives. Here\u2019s a look at some of these memorable musical guests and our predecessors\u2019 coverage of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Duke Ellington<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Edward Kennedy \u201cDuke\u201d Ellington was a revolutionary American composer and pianist. Throughout his career, Ellington worked tirelessly to create a unique and compelling sound, shaping the jazz industry in the process. His efforts \u2014 along with those of his band, the Washingtonians \u2014 also led to the expansion of big-band jazz on the American music scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ellington came to Grove City on Oct. 20, 1961, and put on an incredible concert for the student body. In a news article describing Ellington\u2019s upcoming show, one Collegian staffer had this to say about the jazz legend: \u201cIt has been said by critics that Duke Ellington\u2019s music and Walt Disney\u2019s cartoons are the only two original art forms America has produced. True or not, Ellington has been acclaimed throughout the world as the creator of a new, rich and distinctly American musical idiom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simon and Garfunkel<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Renowned today for pioneering the American urban-folk music subgenre, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel arrived on campus on Nov. 11, 1966, just as they were achieving widespread fame. According to a Collegian staffer, \u201cno new act has caused such excitement as the new duo\u201d and their debut album \u201cWednesday Morning, 3 a.m.\u201d has \u201cclearly marked them as a vital force on the folk scene.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then Student Council President Richard Jewell \u2014 who went on to become the college\u2019s eighth president \u2014 was responsible for the booking, according to the same Collegian article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the concert, Collegian reporter Marty Redman shared these remarks in a review of the folk duo: \u201cSimon and Garfunkel were great. Their off-the-cuff humor captivated the audience from the first. Their songs were well-written, well chosen, well executed and well received \u2026 Their greatest charm was perhaps their outlook of cynicism in combination with their obvious sensitivity,\u201d Redman said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Temptations<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Temptations were a renowned 1960s musical group known for their authentic Motown sound. Best known today for their 1964 single \u201cMy Girl,\u201d the group put together an impressive musical repertoire that helped give the \u201960s their distinct sound. The college hosted these sensational singers for a concert on Nov. 10, 1967.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the words of one Collegian staffer: \u201cNot much needs to be said by way of introduction of the Tempy Boys to Grove City College.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFive performers, synchronized in rhythm and movement even as they exit the stage, can communicate to an audience in a way with which a mere Motown record cannot compare,\u201d one Collegian writer said, in a news article promoting the upcoming concert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The McCoys<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best known for their smash hit \u201cHang On Sloopy,\u201d the McCoys came to campus on April 5, 1973, to play during the college\u2019s annual spring extravaganza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the apparent popularity of the group on campus (evidenced by an earlier article in the \u201960s highlighting the group\u2019s success), the McCoys were not SGA\u2019s first choice for the extravaganza, having originally tried to recruit Herman\u2019s Hermits or Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To promote the last-minute booking, the then Social Vice President Mike Jives described the McCoys as \u201ca really, really super-neato fantabulous, swell bunch of guys.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alice Cooper<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe canvas-protected arena floor was strewn with garbage. The bleachers reeked of dried vomit. The area nearest the stage was blanketed with pillow feathers. The entire site remained one of the aftermath of a tornado. Alice Cooper was here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was the scene Collegian writer Bob Byer described after the band\u2019s concert here in September 1971. It was definitely a different time on campus then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cooper, an American singer, songwriter and actor, is best known for his raspy voice and theatrical shock rock shows. After the concert, Byer was able to interview Cooper and his band members, producing one of the most iconic concert reviews in Collegian history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAudiences like to have fun,\u201d Cooper told Byer. \u201cWe had a riot up in Canada once. The kids rushed the stage and ripped off our shirts. Like the Stones or early Beatles. That\u2019s when you really have fun \u2014 when you have a riot.\u201d Did Alice think that the Grove City audience had fun? \u201cI think so \u2026 They weren\u2019t as open as some of our other audience \u2026 but yeah, I think so,\u201d Cooper said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don McLean<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cAmerican Troubadour\u201d Don McLean, acknowledged at the time as one of the nation\u2019s best lyricists and songwriters, arrived on Grove City\u2019s campus on September 20, 1974 to headline the college\u2019s annual fall concert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Known for his eight-and-aThe group, credited with 14 platinum albums, seven Grammy nominations and 10 Juno Award wins, didn’t impress Collegian staffer Rick Severs, who dealt Rush one of the most scathing reviews the newspaper has ever published.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Not only are they basically a bad band,” Severs wrote, “they also have problems with any song that doesn’t peak at 160 decibels. Actually, there is really no way to compare Rush with anyone else because to mention them in the same sentence with a good band would be to drag down the name and reputation of the latter.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the ironic misjudgment of this writer, the college has largely displayed great enthusiasm over the years for the bands it hosts, and the campus can anticipate many more iconic shows to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Alice
Alice Cooper’s presence on campus reveals bygone GCC culture. \u2014 PINTEREST<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Throughout Grove City College\u2019s 150-year history, countless political leaders, prominent theologians and talented artists have graced campus with their presence. Among those famous figures were some of the 20th century\u2019s musical greats.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":821,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[186],"tags":[54,70],"class_list":["post-1439","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-campus","tag-issue-2026-04-17","tag-mia-gallagher"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/09\/2026-04-17-06-in-concert-at-the-grove-1.jpg",987,1258,false],"thumbnail":["\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/09\/2026-04-17-06-in-concert-at-the-grove-1.jpg",118,150,false],"medium":["\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/09\/2026-04-17-06-in-concert-at-the-grove-1.jpg",235,300,false],"medium_large":["\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/09\/2026-04-17-06-in-concert-at-the-grove-1.jpg",768,979,false],"large":["\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/09\/2026-04-17-06-in-concert-at-the-grove-1.jpg",803,1024,false],"1536x1536":["\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/09\/2026-04-17-06-in-concert-at-the-grove-1.jpg",987,1258,false],"2048x2048":["\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/09\/2026-04-17-06-in-concert-at-the-grove-1.jpg",987,1258,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Ian Schartner","author_link":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/author\/schartnerij23\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Throughout Grove City College\u2019s 150-year history, countless political leaders, prominent theologians and talented artists have graced campus with their presence. Among those famous figures were some of the 20th century\u2019s musical greats.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1439","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1439"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1439\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1653,"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1439\/revisions\/1653"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/821"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1439"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1439"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stuorgs2.gcc.edu\/thecollegian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1439"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}