Glen Miller Orchestra performing at St. John's in 1941.
Band leader Glen Miller of the Glen Miller Orchestra, signing autographs at St. John's in 1941.
The Beach Boys performing in 1967.
James Taylor performing in 1976.
Kenny Loggins (L) performing in 1978 and Dan Fogelberg (R) performing in 1979.
Meatloaf performing at St. John's in 1979
The Kinks performing in 1980.
Peter Frampton performing in 1980.
Hall & Oates performing in 1981.
Adam Ant performing in 1983.
Henry Rollins performing on campus in 1998.
Maroon 5, with Jason Segel on keyboard, performing in 2009.
Kendrick Lamar and other performers from the 2012 Spring Music Fest.
J. Cole (Jermaine Lamarr Cole ’07CPS) performing in 2015.
Juice WRLD performing at the 2019 Red Storm Tip-Off.
Lawrence Dunn ’79SVC (Larry the Duck).
October 29, 2019
Just as hundreds of thousands of students have passed through St. John’s gates over the years, so too have scores of singers, songwriters, and musicians. In fact, a look back at nearly 80 years of musical performances on campus provides a list of celebrated artists and up-and-coming acts that rivals any great concert hall.
Among the earliest performances on record at St. John’s is the Glen Miller Orchestra’s performance in 1941. Famous for their renditions of big band classics, such as “In the Mood” and “Chattanooga Choo-Choo,” the orchestra still performs to this day. In 2003, Mr. Miller was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Beach Boys made their way from California to the East Coast and performed at St. John’s twice during the 1960s—in 1967 and again the following year. Known as one of the acts that created “the California Sound,” their hits include “Good Vibrations,” “Little Deuce Coupe,” and “Surfin’ U.S.A.” The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
The 1960s saw a host of future Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees perform on campus, including The Lovin’ Spoonful, the Four Tops, and The Rascals. Folk musicians The Kingston Trio, Judy Collins, and Richie Havens also entertained students at the Queens, NY, campus.
In the 1970s, John Sebastian, founder of The Lovin’ Spoonful, made two return visits to St. John’s as a solo artist, in 1975 and again in 1976, fresh off the success of his hit “Welcome Back,” the theme song to the popular sitcom, Welcome Back, Kotter.
Fellow Hall of Famers James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt performed on campus in 1976, as did 50s nostalgia act, Sha Na Na. Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes made the trip to St. John’s from the Garden State in 1977, and Kenny Loggins appeared on campus in 1978, long before he penned “Footloose.”
In 1979, a year after his blockbuster debut album, Bat Out of Hell, was released, Meat Loaf performed at the University. That same year, Dan Fogelberg, a young singer who had yet to release his hits, “Longer” and “Leader of the Band,” performed at St. John’s. The event was stressful for Lawrence Dunn ’79SVC, a student who was a member of the University’s program board.
He explained, “In those days, most artists would ask for a fee of between $5,000 and $7,000 to perform. Mr. Fogelberg’s price was $25,000. He was a rising star, and we knew we would do pretty well with him, but still, it was a gut-wrenching call when it came time to sign contracts.”
After all the expenses associated with hosting the concert were paid, and the concert committee reimbursed Student Government, Inc. the money it had borrowed, Mr. Dunn noted: “We made $100 on the show.”
Mr. Dunn is best known to fans of alternative and new wave music as “Larry the Duck.” He began his career in broadcasting as an intern at WLIR-FM, a pioneering new wave radio station in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Today, he can be heard on SiriusXM’s 1st Wave on Channel 33 and on WLIR.fm.
The 1980s saw a host of now-legendary acts make their way to campus. Four years after his eight-time platinum double album, Frampton Comes Alive!, was released, Peter Frampton came to Queens. Later in 1980, future Hall of Fame inductees, the Kinks, entertained thousands of Johnnies on campus.
In 1981, Hall & Oates (also Hall of Fame members) brought their unique blend of rock, pop, and soul to campus, performing—as most musical acts did—inside Alumni Hall (now Carnesecca Arena).
“At the time, Alumni Hall was the third largest arena in the New York metro area,” Mr. Dunn said, explaining why the University hosted such popular acts. “You had Madison Square Garden, Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, and then us. We had seating for approximately 6,200 for a concert, which was 100 seats more than Radio City Music Hall.”
In 1983, Mr. Dunn returned to Alumni Hall to introduce new wave artist Adam Ant. Opening the show for Mr. Ant was supporting act, INXS—who made the trip to Queens from Australia.
Tastes in music change over the years, and it is reflected in the roster of artists who find their way to the stage at the University. At opposite ends of the 1990s, the University was visited by Bruce Hornsby and the Range, who in 1991 brought their soft rock sounds to campus; while in 1998, Henry Rollins, lead singer of punk band, Black Flag, and the eponymous Rollins Band, came to campus alone—as a motivational speaker.
In 2006, Carnesecca Arena was the site of the Just Press Play concert, which featured an eclectic mix of artists, including The Roots (currently, the house band for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon), Nina Sky, Rhymefest, DJ Neil Armstrong, and headliners, The All-American Rejects.
In the Fall 2009 semester, Maroon 5 came to campus, along with opening act, Fitz and The Tantrums. Fans at the concert were treated to a special guest star at the show, as actor Jason Segel showed off his musical abilities for the crowd.
“I loved seeing Maroon 5 at St. John’s,” said Susanne Hutnick ’13TCB, who attended the show. “I was very close to the stage, and I can still remember the experience. The best part was seeing such a popular band in an intimate venue and being able to enjoy it with my friends. It was amazing!”
Popular music during the 2010s has been dominated by rap and hip-hop—and so has the roster of performers to play at St. John’s during the same span.
Hip-hop artist and St. John’s alumnus, J. Cole (Jermaine Lamarr Cole ’07CPS) returned to alma mater to perform on two occasions, in 2010 and again in 2015. Upon completion of his second show on campus, Mr. Cole was presented with his paper diploma from St. John’s by Provost Emerita and Distinguished Professor of Theology, Julia A. Upton, R.S.M., Ph.D., who was his professor for Discover New York.
A Communication Arts major with a minor in Business, he earned his degree in 2007, graduating summa cum laude. According to the Village Voice, he never received his actual diploma because of outstanding fines for a never-returned library book but that story is often discredited as he left campus in the spring to join a concert tour.
In 2012, two years before winning the first of his 13 Grammy Awards, a little-known rapper named Kendrick Lamar came to campus to share his music with an audience that, in most cases, was unfamiliar with it.
“It was cool to see Kendrick before his prime,” said Kimberly Simun-Janson ’13TCB. “I remember him commanding the stage and having some really good hooks. Little did I know that he would one day enter my top-five list of favorite rappers.”
In 2015, the late Mac Miller performed at the University, and the following year, Queens, NY, native, Nas, pumped up the crowd inside Carnesecca Arena. In 2017, Dave East performed there, as well.
Most recently, Juice WRLD—a 20-year-old Chicago, IL, native, performed on campus during Red Storm Tip-Off, an annual event that marks the unofficial start of the men’s and women’s basketball seasons. His single, “Lucid Dreams,” peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2018.
Only time will tell if Juice WRLD becomes the next Kendrick Lamar; or if next year’s headliner one day joins the ranks of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. However, each performer who sets foot on a St. John’s stage creates a lifetime of memories for every Johnny in attendance.