The Sound of Music
The memorable concerts at Rutgers—and performances by university musical groups.
Rutgers musical groups ushered in the presidency of John F. Kennedy—and said good-bye at its tragic end. The Rutgers University Queens Guard Precision Rifle Drill Team, appearing on NBC (a broadcast produced in part by Eliot Frankel RC’43), marched in the inaugural parade on January 20, 1961. (Watch a video.) The day after the president’s assassination on November 22, 1963, the Rutgers University Choir performed Brahms’s “A German Requiem” with the Philadelphia Orchestra on CBS.
Born to Run
New Jersey native son Bruce Springsteen first performed at Rutgers on December 17, 1971, at the Ledge (now the Student Activities Center), a popular student lounge and performance venue at Rutgers–New Brunswick. Springsteen appeared with two bands, Southern Conspiracy and Powerhouse. Tickets were $1. The Boss played again in 1974, 1976, and 1978.
Live and In Concert
The memorable rock ’n’ roll, folk, country, and jazz performances.
| Joan Baez | Christian McBride |
| Chet Baker | Brandon McCune |
| Count Basie | Meatloaf |
| Beastie Boys | Van Morrison |
| Blood, Sweat & Tears | Arturo O’Farrill |
| Jon Bon Jovi | Houston Person |
| Boston | Plain White T’s |
| David Bromberg | The Pretenders |
| Jackson Browne | The Psychedelic Furs |
| Ray Charles | Bonnie Raitt |
| Cheap Trick | The Ramones |
| The Clash | Red Hot Chili Peppers |
| The Coasters | Lou Reed |
| Judy Collins | R.E.M. |
| Elvis Costello | Renaissance |
| Bo Diddley | Busta Rhymes |
| The Drifter | Smokey Robinson |
| Bob Dylan | Linda Ronstadt |
| Earth Wind & Fire | Asher Roth |
| Duke Ellington | Todd Rundgren |
| The 5th Dimension | Gil Scott-Heron |
| Fishbone | Ravi Shankar |
| The Four Tops | The Shirelles |
| Bill Frissel | Simon & Garfunkel |
| Peter Gabriel | Southside Johnny |
| Gang of Four | Bruce Springsteen |
| Kenny Garrett | Squeeze |
| Wycliffe Gordon & Eric Reed | The Supremes |
| The Grateful Dead | Talking Heads |
| Ritchie Havens | Teddy Wilson Trio |
| The Hooters | The Temptations |
| Billy Idol | They Might Be Giants |
| Carrie Jackson | Toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabackin Quartet |
| Jerry Garcia Band | The Turtles |
| Billy Joel | Warren Vache Trio |
| Mimi Jones | Dionne Warwick |
| Stanley Jordan | Muddy Waters |
| The Kinks | Kanye West |
| Kool & the Gang | Joe Wilder |
| Patti LaBelle | The Young Rascals |
| The Lovin’ Spoonful | Warren Zevon |
“Rock ’n’ roll has had a bigger cultural impact on the history of man than any other art form.”
— Terry Stewart ENG’69, ED’69, former president and CEO, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and a member of the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni
Encore
Al Aronowitz RC’50, “the godfather of rock journalism,” introduced Bob Dylan to the Beatles at the Hotel Delmonico in New York City on August 28, 1964. Aronowitz was covering the Beatles while on assignment for the Saturday Evening Post.
Rutgers musical groups ushered in the presidency of John F. Kennedy—and said good-bye at its tragic end. The Rutgers University Queens Guard Precision Rifle Drill Team, appearing on NBC (a broadcast produced in part by Eliot Frankel RC’43), marched in the inaugural parade on January 20, 1961. (Watch a video.) The day after the president’s assassination on November 22, 1963, the Rutgers University Choir performed Brahms’s “A German Requiem” with the Philadelphia Orchestra on CBS.
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