George Caldwell ’24

For years, Campus Activities Board has brought incredible artists to campus each semester, from Drake in 2010 to The Kid LAROI this fall. This semester, the College of the Holy Cross welcomes Plain White T’s, a rock band famous for hits such as “Hey There Delilah.” Behind the scenes, members of CAB’s Concert Committee work for months to bring unforgettable concerts to the student body. Bella Lanna and Tess Conroy, the two senior co-chairs of the committee, spoke about the work and preparation that went into the spring concert.

To learn what type of concert the student body wanted, CAB sent out a survey asking for their input. From the responses, the Music Committee decided on the Plain White T’s and their opening act, Isaac Dunbar. As Tess Conroy explained, “We sent a survey to the student body in the beginning of the semester to gather student preferences. Most students preferred pop and enjoyed throwback artists, so we thought the Plain White T’s would be a great pick. I am especially excited to have Isaac Dunbar open the concert followed by the Plain White T’s so students can experience a rising artist alongside an existing act we are familiar with.”

Bella Lanna added, “The agents we work with for the concert had a great list of artists. Once we found out the results of our campus survey, we saw the Plain White T’s and knew they fit the pop/throwback vibe perfectly.” For Tess and Bella, this concert is not their first rodeo. While keeping the identity of the performing artists a secret, they decided to provide hints on CAB’S Instagram leading up to the ultimate reveal at the “Battle of the Bands” event. As Bella told me, “Spring Weekend is such a big and fun event, and we wanted to make everyone feel as involved as possible. From the hints on CAB’s Instagram, to the reveal event at Battle of the Bands, we wanted everyone to feel excited leading up to it.” Tess and Bella are looking forward to seeing students’ reactions to the concert. Tess told me, “It was rewarding to plan CAB’s first Spring Concert since 2019, which will also be the first Spring Concert for most students. I hope students enjoy the concert and the rest of Spring Weekend. We are looking forward to it.”

Bella showed the same enthusiasm: “The most rewarding part will be seeing the event play out after a whole year’s worth of work. We hope everyone will be able to celebrate the end of the year at the concert and other Spring Weekend events.” Thanks to Tess and Bella’s work, students will once again enjoy the tradition of the Spring Concert after a long hiatus brought on by the pandemic.