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2008 “American Idol” winner David Cook performed to a sold-out crowd of 558 people in Paws on Friday, April 3, for a concert sponsored by the Campus Activities Board.
The enthusiastic crowd began lining up for the evening show in the middle of the afternoon.
Singer-songwriter Ryan Star opened the show with a semi-acoustic performance, which he called “experimental.”
Cook’s rock set lit up the stage, literally.
Sets of Venetian-blind-style lights turned Paws into a very different environment.
After his performance, he stayed behind for several hours signing autographs.
--Tyler Waldman
Following the annual homecoming game was the similarly traditional homecoming concert.
On Oct. 5, T-Pain took the stage at the Towson Center for a large crowd, performing his hits such as “Buy U a Drank” and “Bartender.” He also utilized the auto-tune tool during his performance, something he’s known to do on many songs. T-Pain previewed his new album “Thr33 Ringz” at the concert before its debut that November.
--Carrie Wood
The department of theatre arts put on a fantastic, if not similarly themed, year of performances.
Starting with Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible,” where a witch hunt took place in Puritan Salem, Mass., the department set a tone for well-acted, thoroughly depressing plays.
“The Crucible” was followed by August Wilson’s “The Piano Lesson,” which provided an interesting take on family life, but less opportunity for diversity within the choice of actors, as the cast was entirely black.
August Strindberg’s “Miss Julie,” started the spring season on a continuing trend of depression. “Miss Julie” had the smallest cast of the year with only three leads, but provided the most intimate character analysis of any show in the season thus far.
The set of “Miss Julie” was designed by a Towson student, complete with a backdrop that becomes see through during an intimate scene between the leads of Miss Julie and her father’s valet, Jean.
“The Time of Your Life,” by William Saroyan finished the season on an existentialist note.
The play featured 23 actors, the largest cast of the year. Though the play was humorous and uplifting compared to the departments other performances, it’s lack of plot line made it difficult to follow.
Students directed pieces such as “Bug,” directed by senior theatre major Andrew Peters, as well as master of fine arts productions such as Deletta Gillespie’s “The Magic City Massacre,” featuring actress and comedian Rain Pryor.
--Lauren Slavin
Baltimore’s Senator Theatre, a local landmark located just down York Road from Towson University, was the center of a controversy, shutting its doors on March 15. This was the first time it happened in 70 years after mortgage holder 1st Mariner Bank filed for foreclosure on March 11. Baltimore City officials and community leaders scrambled to find a solution as an auction date loomed. On March 17, the non-profit Senator Community Trust hosted an emergency town hall meeting in the theater to discuss the situation.
The Senator is a nationally recognized movie theater and has been the site of premieres for everything from “Cry-Baby” to “The Wire.” It has even been a movie set itself, in films such as “12 Monkeys” and “Cecil B. DeMented.” The Senator has been family owned, trickling down from Tom Kiefaber the original owner since 1939.
Since the initial shutdown, the theater re-opened its doors, showing classic films to raise money to pay their staff in the interim. The Rotunda Cinematheque in Hampden, also previously owned by Kiefaber, will reopen under new management on May 15.
Numerous groups – including Towson University – presented proposals for taking over the theater, but none could present a sustainable operating plan.
On April 12, the city announced plans to buy out the theater’s mortgage and turn the theater over to a group that would run it as a community arts center or movie theater. No specific plans have yet been announced.
--Tyler Waldman
Not even signs of lightning could stop The All-American Rejects from rocking a crowd of more than 8,500 at this year’s Tigerfest.
The show remained at Burdick Field, though the Campus Activities board debated moving the music festival to Johnny Unitas Stadium. Along with The Dialogue, CAB’s Battle of the Bands winner, bands The Upwelling, Ace Enders and a Million Different People and Shiny Toy Guns also took the stage to perform for both Towson students and concertgoers from around the area.
After the Shiny Toy Guns’ performance, signs of lightning were seen over the Union Garage, and all Tigerfest attendees had to be evacuated into the University Union and Burdick Gym.
After a one-hour delay, the Rejects took the stage for a performance that ended with rolls of toilet paper thrown into the audience like streamers.
--Lauren Slavin
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