Mayfest certainly took a long time to release the lineup for this year’s Dillo Day — just a few days ago, Northwestern learned that The New Pornographers and Chiddy Bang will be gracing the stage. Concert organizers blamed the delay on lengthy contract negotiations, but what if they instead had to scramble for backup acts after they failed to book an all-Northwestern lineup? A little research shows that a Wildcat-themed Dillo Day has a lot of potential.
The Smith Westerns
The Smith Westerns are a Chicago-based indie rock trio that has taken the music world by storm — and just a couple of years ago singer-guitarist Cullen Omori studied at Northwestern. Omori dropped out after a quarter so he could pursue music, but could probably be convinced to bring his band’s glam rock revival to the shores of the Lakefill — somewhere between their scheduled sets at the Sasquatch and Lollapalooza music festivals this summer.
Strength of Northwestern connection: Moderate
The members of The Smith Westerns grew up in Chicago and went to good high schools in the city. Omori’s status as a partial alumni is obvious and The Smith Westerns are also unique because of their similarity in age to Northwestern students.
How interested would students be?
Small blogs and larger music magazines have given The Smith Westerns rave reviews, but they’re still a small indie band with a logically small following. Hipsters and review junkies would turn out for The Smith Westerns’ set, but they’d be slotted early in the day because they lack broad appeal.
Andrew Bird
Andrew Bird (Bienen ’96) incorporates elements of jazz, classical and folk music to create musical landscapes as diverse as his influences. Bird’s discography — surprisingly large — routinely uses violins, harpsichords and varied percussion that make it unusual. However, Bird is also a skilled songwriter, and certain elements of his music — including his particularly endearing whistling — would definitely have Dillo Day swaying in the afternoon sun.
Strength of Northwestern connection: High
Bird completed his Northwestern education and is a solo artist, as opposed to just being one member of a band.
How interested would students be?
The Smith Westerns are just starting out, so their unknown status is understandable. Andrew Bird, on the other hand, has been producing music for over a decade. He enjoys a decent cult following, but hasn’t broken out because his music is, well, a little weird. Bird’s set would attract his fans, but his music isn’t the most conducive to first time listeners looking for a good drunken time.
Joshua Radin
Joshua Radin (Communication/Weinberg ’96) would fill the Regina Spektor adult alternative niche at the Northwestern alumni Dillo Day. The singer-songwriter’s style is far from Bird’s experimental tendencies — Radin instead pairs his soft vocals with calming acoustic accompaniments. Television shows like Scrubs, Grey’s Anatomy and One Tree Hill have featured Radin’s music, and his set would probably consist of fans of The CW crowding to the front rows while hipsters made their beer garden trips.
Strength of Northwestern connection: High
Like Andrew Bird, Radin is a solo artist who actually completed his education at Northwestern.
How interested would students be?
Radin is a stereotypically pleasant sounding musician. Most people would probably enjoy his set, but it’s hard to imagine too many Radin diehards being in attendance.
She & Him
Zooey Deschanel, the she in folk-pop duo She & Him, attended Northwestern for a few months before pursuing her movie career — for those not versed in all things Deschanel, the actress starred in films including Elf, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and (500) Days of Summer. Deschanel’s name recognition, good looks and vocal versatility has helped She & Him (and underrated cohort M. Ward) cultivate a large base of fans looking for laid-back, upbeat tunes.
Strength of Northwestern connection: low
Deschanel only went to Northwestern for a few months and her and M. Ward are West Coast natives.
How interested would students be?
She & Him would capture most of Radin’s audience and raise him two important groups: Movie fans and indie rockers. Deschanel is immediately loveable and Ward carries with him a powerful reputation.
Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire might be the hottest band in rock ‘n’ roll right now — they’re fresh off winning a Grammy for their 2010 album The Suburbs, recently sold out a string of three shows at Chicago’s UIC Pavilion and have been booked as headliners for major festivals around the world. And Will Butler (Weinberg ’05) is a member of the seven-person ensemble. Snagging Arcade Fire would be just about impossible, but their Dillo Day headline set would be one for the ages.
Strength of Northwestern connection: Moderate
Will Butler finished his education at Northwestern and was very involved in campus life, notably with WNUR. Butler even returned last fall to speak at the university. Still, his influence is diminished because he’s only one member of a large ensemble.
How interested would students be?
Arcade Fire is the big thing at the moment. The band has gathered a strong following via their earlier records, and their latest album has helped bridge a gap to a larger, more mainstream audience.