Halfway through his performance Sunday night, Joshua Radin told the audience to get up and dance to “We Are Okay,” his next song. But Radin cautioned, “No flailing limbs, none of that. This isn’t a party school.”
And he would know. Singer-songwriter Radin graduated from Northwestern in 1996, and it was clear that the alumnus felt at home as he filled the evening with a mix of catchy melodies, melancholy ballads and plenty of Northwestern-themed jokes. After Radin invited the audience to dance, he fed on the head-bobbing enthusiasm, saying, “I’ve got to come back for Dance Marathon next week!”
Though Radin’s talent alone was enough to grab A&O’s attention, it was his alumni status that prompted the group to bring him to campus.
“Josh Radin was a name we were already excited about,” A&O Concert Chair and Weinberg senior Forrest Wickman said. “When we found out he was an alumni, we knew he’d be a perfect fit for our alumni speaker series.”
After his opening song, “Free of Me,” Radin picked up his red Solo cup and toasted the audience. He connected with his alma mater immediately, exclaiming, “I feel like hypno-therapist Tom DeLuca..” But there was much more to Radin than some audience-specific humor.
“His voice sounded like heaven on earth,” McCormick sophomore Sarah Rome said.
Radin’s presence was magnanimous when he performed tragic songs that plucked on metaphorical heartstrings. During these, there was no other sound than his heartbreaking voice and gloomy guitar; the audience was mesmerized by his acoustics.
Still, the air of the evening was light. Radin quickly bounced from sad songs to more Northwestern-focused wit that kept the audience engaged all night. From cracks about Frances Willard and prohibition to life lessons and girl advice, Radin created a casually dynamic connection with his audience, and that speaks volumes about the kind of performer he is.
Radin was also thrilled to perform a new song, “The Myth of Us,” inspired by the Greek myth of Sisyphus, the king condemned to roll a boulder up a hill and let it fall back down for all eternity. Radin said he “can’t play this on tour because most people don’t have a high IQ and don’t understand it.”
Radin’s hunch that Northwestern was the place to test his song turned out to be correct.
“My new favorite song is Sisyphus,” Weinberg freshman Erica Haft said. “I know the myth and I think it’s great. I like how he related it to his experiences.”
After a jam session finale, the floor was opened for a question-and-answer session. By the third question, there was a song request; Radin obliged and played “Closer” before taking the rest of the questions.
Radin closed the festivities in true college fratboy style by inviting the audience to post-game at Nevin’s, where, according to Radin, they serve the best Guinness around. Some things never change.