Stephen Colbert and Will Butler probably didn’t expect to become as famous as they have after attending Northwestern. And as with past Dillo Day lineups, some of the artists have become extremely big in the music industry. While Mayfest may or may not have known that the artists they were booking at the time were going to make it big, there have been a few that have made a name for themselves. So let’s take a look at where some of the artists from the past 10 Dillo Day lineups are now:
The Black Eyed Peas (2001)
Since performing at Dillo Day in 2001 (before Fergie joined the group), The Black Eyed Peas have had four extremely successful albums and won six Grammy Awards. The group hit it big with their worldwide hit “Where Is the Love?” in 2003, two years after performing at Northwestern. Their album, Monkey Business certified 4 times Platinum in the U.S. with popular singles like “My Humps” and “Don’t Phunk with my Heart.” The Black Eyed Peas also became one of the select few artists to ever have the No.1 and No.2 spots on the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously, with their tracks “Boom Boom Pow” and “I Got a Feeling” off their album The E.N.D. Members of the group, including Fergie and will.i.am have also had their own individual successes.
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones (2002)
Originally formed in 1988, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones already had a pretty established career before performing at Dillo Day, including nine released albums and three Grammy awards. Since then, the band has received two more Grammy awards, for Best Contemporary Jazz Album, The Hidden Land in 2007 and Best Pop Instrumental Album, Jingle All the Way. In 2009, Bela Fleck released Throw Down Your Heart, a film about his exploration of the history of the banjo while visiting Africa. Furthermore, they have released five more albums, including Rocket Science, which was released earlier this year.
The Crystal Method (2003)
Later in 2003, The Crystal Method’s single “Born Too Slow” was released. Their 2004 album, Legion of Boom, sold more than 25,000 copies in its first week and garnered itself a No.36 spot on the Billboard 200. It was also nominated for the Best Electronic/Dance Album Grammy in 2005, but lost the award to The Chemical Brothers. However in 2007, the Recording Industry Association of America certified the group’s album Vegas platinum.
Gavin DeGraw (2004)
Probably most famously known for his song “I Don’t Want to Be” as the theme song for One Tree Hill, since performing at Dillo Day Gavin DeGraw has performed on a wide array of television shows, including The Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He also had several cameos on shows like What I Like About You and Dead Like Me. In 2008, his self-titled album, Gavin DeGraw, went to the No.7 spot on the Billboard 200 chart, and he released a third album, Free, in 2009. DeGraw’s next album will be released on Aug. 9, and he will be touring with Maroon 5 and Train this summer.
The Black Keys (2005)
A year after visiting Northwestern, The Black Keys released Chulahoma: The Songs of Junior Kimbrough. The band’s track “Your Touch” was showcased on the HBO series Entourage along with the movie Zombieland. Their albums Magic Potion, Attack & Release and Brothers were released in 2006, 2008 and 2010, respectively. However, the band probably earned most of its fame earlier this year, as they won the 2011 Grammy awards for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for “Tighten Up” and Best Alternative Music Album for Brothers along with being nominated in two other categories.
Mae (2006)
Mae has had a turbulent time since playing at Dillo Day back in 2006. A little bit over a year later, band members Mark Padgett and Rob Sweitzer left the group until more recently in 2010. The following year, Mae announced that they finished their contract with Capitol Records and were going separate ways. However, in 2009, Mae released a song for each month of the year which were available to download on their Web site for a donation of $1 to benefit humanitarian projects the band chose. They also released three EPs, named (m)orning, (a)fternoon and (e)vening. Mae recently finished their Goodbye, Goodnight Tour in February.
Lupe Fiasco (2007)
Predominantly known for his single “Superstar,”Lupe Fiasco has come far from playing at Northwestern. The Chicago native received the Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance of “Daydreamin’” a year after performing at Dillo Day. Since then, he has been nominated for countless BET, Grammy and MTV VMA awards. Fiasco has also collaborated with Kayne West and Pharrell Williams in a collaboration effort called Child Rebel Soldier.
The Cool Kids (2008)
Listed in Rolling Stone’s Ten Artists to Watch in 2008, The Cool Kids since has had their music endorsed by the likes of Mountain Dew and Nike. The group’s song “Bassment Party” was also in an episode of Entourage. Viewing their success as more gradual, the duo has not blown up like other past Dillo Day acts. In 2009, the group released their second mixtape, Gone Fishing and are currently working on their debut album, When Fish Ride Bicycles, which has an indefinite date as of now.
Estelle (2009)
The pop starlet known for her collaboration with rapper Kayne West on “American Boy” in 2008 is currently working on her third album, All of Me. Since performing at Northwestern, she has worked with David Guetta and Robin Thicke. Estelle recently modeled at Naomi Campbell’s Fashion For Relief runway show to raise money for mothers in Haiti. “Break My Heart,” the second single off the album she is working on was released to U.S. radio stations on May 17, and the rest of the album is yet to be released.
Guster (2010)
The band that started in college is probably most well-known for their 2003 single “Amsterdam.” After performing at Northwestern, Guster released their sixth album titled Easy Wonderful on Oct. 5, 2010. Prior to their album release, Guster participated in the Download to Donate program where their single “Jonah” was put on the Download to Donate for Haiti album. The band announced that member Joe Pisapia would be touring with k.d. lang instead and would be replaced by Luke Reynolds.