By Nicole Acevedo, Assistant Editor
The Spring Event may have looked a lot different this year, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a blast. On Friday, April 30, 2021, Western New England University held their annual Spring Event Concert, sponsored by the Student Senate.
Female country duo, Maddie & Tae, opened up the virtual concert for University students, and were followed by ‘One of Them Girls’ country chart-topper, Lee Brice.
The event started at 7:00 P.M. and students could view the show from the comfort of their own rooms, join one of the viewing parties in Rivers Memorial Hall and Campus Center A, or grab some blankets and head to the Commonwealth Lawn to watch it on the big screen.
Preceding the show, Spuds Your Way and Meriano’s Bakery and Food Truck were hanging out by the lawn serving students who wanted a treat before the event. There were also lawn games tournaments where students competed against their peers in Cornhole and KanJam.
I decided to bundle up with some fuzzy blankets and meet my friends out on Commonwealth Lawn to watch the performances. Although the wind was chilling our ears, it finally felt like we had some semblance of a real concert back. I’m a big live show kind of girl, and after spending this last year devoid of crowds, basslines reverberating against my chest, and being surrounded by smiling faces scream-singing the lyrics to their favorite songs, it felt amazing to connect with music again.
Maddie & Tae let loose on screen, singing some of their most popular songs such as ‘Friends Don’t,’ ‘Fly,’ and ‘Die From a Broken Heart.’ The dynamic duo even surprised us with performing a few of their unreleased tracks off their upcoming third record! WNE students were some of the first to hear ‘Mood Ring,’ which was a twangy track with a whole lot of attitude. They also let us get a sneak peek at ‘Grown Man Cry’ and ‘Life Ain’t Fair.’
At 8:10 P.M., Lee Brice graced our presence with his honky-tonk voice and sweet southern personality. Brice and his band jumped right into the performance with ‘Hard to Love.’ Following the song, he addressed the University by saying how he wished he could hear us singing along, but he hoped we were getting rowdy and having a good time.
When Brice performed ‘One of Them Girls,’ ‘Rumor,’ and ‘Drinking Class,’ a group of students ran up to the front of the lawn and started dancing, singing, and all around vibing to the country singer’s punchy tracks.
While Brice’s dominant voice and personality was on full display during the show, his relaxed and down-to-earth self shined through during our phone interview on Thursday afternoon. Originally, we’d planned to chat Wednesday, but Lee gave me a ring to tell me that he was in a ‘bit of a predicament’ because his ‘boy needed tutoring,’ so, we planned to reschedule.
Admittedly, I was anxious to be speaking with one of the country scene’s biggest artists right now, but as soon as I picked up the phone and heard Lee’s southern twang come through, it all fell away.
Our call was less of an interview and more of a conversation, as we talked about whether or not he’d performed for a University before and how virtual concerts have been during COVID-19.
“I have, I have. One of the first ones I did – it was my own University – it was my alma mater, and I opened for Jo Dee Messina,” Brice stated. “My old ex-girlfriend was there in the front row, and the song I was singing was about her,” He laughed. “It was cool.”
With venues out of commission during the pandemic, Brice and his band found new ways to play for fans. “We’ve been doing some shows throughout the whole thing. We did a drive-in, even did a wedding, people were spread out over the whole thing,” He said.
Since the beginning of March, the band has had the opportunity to jump back on the tour bus and hit the road. On April 18, 2021, Brice attended the ACM Awards to perform alongside friend and award-winning country-pop singer, Carly Pearce. Pearce and Brice were one of three performers who were able to play live at the ceremony. The pair walked away with two awards – Music Event of the Year and Single of the Year – for their collaborative track ‘I Hope You’re Happy Now.’
When asked how it felt to win those awards, Brice commented, “They told us we’d won Music Event of the Year while we were on the carpet, but during the show, the competition was so stacked, we were like ‘there’s no way’ we’re going to win.”
For some, making music in quarantine was a chore. Motivation was down as there would be no concerts for the foreseeable future, but it was the opposite for Brice. In September, Brice dropped his fifth studio album Hey World.
The title track was inspired by the pandemic, and featured soulful vocalist Blessing Offor. “I didn’t even meet him before we did the song. My manager, who knows his manager, had come in one day and played his voice for me. Immediately, I was like, ‘I want that voice, I don’t care who he is, I don’t care if he’s got a record deal or if he’s someone off the street. I want him on ‘Hey World’ with me.”
The album was written pre-pandemic, but only partially recorded. As collaborators were unable to meet up and record as usual during lockdown, Brice tracked his parts and sent them via email to his co-writers and producers. “We had to find a whole new way to finish out the record,” Brice added.
It’s no surprise that many of us have gone through changes during quarantine; we’ve had an entire year to sit with ourselves and evaluate the lives we lead. For Brice, he’s learned just how much his family means to him. “Being able to spend this time at home with the family has been important. All I’ve known, and all my kids have known growing up, is daddy being gone. Having all this time, time, time with them has really shown me how important it is to be around them. It’s a priority I can’t sacrifice, especially with them growing up so quickly.” He stated.
Brice went on to say that, “Depending on the time of year, spring through fall, I’d be home for maybe twenty-four hours, then gone again.” He added that going forward, he plans to adjust tour dates and locations to allow him more time to be home.
In concluding our interview, I asked Brice about reflecting on being a late-teen, early-twenty year old, and if there was anything he knows now that he wished he knew back then. He laughed into the speaker and said, “Awe, man, probably just to soak it in a little more. Heck, I’m glad I’ve got my band members to tell me ‘remember that time you did this, or that’ because I’m a hardcore ‘in the moment’ person.”
As the year moves forward and the pandemic (hopefully) comes to an end, Brice is excited to see fans’ faces and feel the energy coming from them as he performs on stage.
As for Western New England University students, the academic year is coming to a close, and this year’s Spring Event gave us a chance to unwind with some live music and make our way through Finals Week.
