On Oct. 24, the Bear Cave went back in time to the 1960s. A concert was put on to celebrate the teachings in the History of Rock ‘N Roll in the 1960’s course. The course is new to Ohio Northern University this year and is taught by Ray Schuck, assistant professor of history.
ONU Department of Music Chair Rebecca Casey came up with the idea for the concert.
“We needed to have something go along with the class that is about music and we decided to have an event to kind of culminate what was going on in the class. We’re trying to draw attention to this music. It is very groundbreak- ing, very unique. And while the classical canon is a great thing, we like to expose the different kinds of music that have gone on since 1950,” said Casey.
More than just the brain behind the operation, Casey opened the concert by playing Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” on the piano. She first explained to the crowd that while the song was technically released in 1970, it was actually recorded in the late 1960s. The song was played with ease and received warm applause at the end.
Next up to perform was Thomas Hunt, professor of music. He stated that he was a bit nervous because many of his students were in attendance, but they did not know he could sing. The crowd grew quiet as he played the first strings of Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind.” Hunt mentioned how important Bob Dylan was for the era of the 1960s, saying, “I think he spoke for an entire generation.”
Opus 4 performed right after Hunt. The quartet started off its set with a statement that fit the era. The members joked, “It’s not as big as Woodstock,” which got a laugh from the crowd. The group harmonized as it performed songs like “Mary Lou,” “Blue Skies,” and “Wonderful World,” as well as a few others. The highlight of the group’s performance was when the members sang to a woman from the audience. Junior music educa- tion major Rebecca Newton was the lucky candidate.
“It was amazing. They were so talented, and all of their harmonies were so locked in. It was so so [sic] sweet,” said Newton.
Each performer wowed the crowd into silence with the beauty of the music. However, when the band Another Round came out, they lit up the crowd. The band played for more than two hours without a break. Normally, an ’80’s cover band, the group came up with a set list from the ’60s just for the concert. That did not limit the group to only 60’s music though, as the members took the audience on a journey of music from the ’60s all the way into the ’80s. The crowd sang along with hits like “Hang on Snoopy,” “House of the Rising Sun,” “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” “You Shook Me All Night Long,” and many others.
The concert ended with Another Round inviting audience members closer to the stage. Many students and a few community members crowded around the stage and danced to the band’s last few songs. The band ended on a high note with a favorite, Blink 182’s “All the Small Things.”