Although the weather kept some students from class, it did not keep them from attending Monday’s SGA Spring Concert featuring Judah & the Lion in Shamblin Theater.
To get the evening started, Footlight Parade, Lipscomb’s own indie-folk trio, opened the show with a few cover songs and a few songs of their own.
After the opening band performed, students waited in anticipation for Judah & the Lion to come on stage.
Judah & the Lion, an Americana-folk band based out of Nashville, got started in December of 2011. Because the band’s lead guitarist and vocalist, Judah Akers, was a Belmont student, some students had previously heard of the band.
“My sister goes to Belmont, so she’s friends with them,” said freshman Mandy Durose.
Judah and the Lion performed a few crowd favorites such as “After All” and “Sweet Tennessee” while incorporating a few new songs.
The open space in Shamblin encouraged students to clap along, stomp their feet and even dance.
“In Alumni, everyone is sitting down, but in Shamblin everyone is up – up on the floor, dancing,” said senior Kelli Blackshear, SGA’s social committee chair.
SGA had high hopes of bringing in not only more Lipscomb students to the spring concert this year but also non-Lipscomb students.
SGA also concluded that having the spring concert in Shamblin, instead of Collins Alumni Auditorium, changed the outcome of the concert.
“It’s a more intimate environment in Shamblin,” said Brandon Carver, senior SGA member. We actually feel like we’re a part of something.”
Not only did SGA members feel that Shamblin was a better venue, though. Students felt the same.
“It was such a fun show – we were the ones up there dancing,” said senior Erika Dore.
Nearing the end of the show, Akers introduced Ben Summers to join the band on drums for a few songs.
Akers said that the show provided a lot of good fun for concert attendees.
“It was such a fun and intimate time, and people could feel free to kind of stomp and dance, and if people wanted to sit down, they could do that, too,” Akers said.
Akers, along with band members Brian Macdonald, mandolinist and vocalist, and Nate Zuercher, banjoist and vocalist, recently returned home to Nashville after being on a three-month tour.
The band’s performance in Shamblin was their first concert back in Nashville since the tour.
“It feels so good to be back in Nashville,” Akers said. “Nashville is home.”
See photos from Monday’s show here.
Video by Sydney Poe, Aaron Schmelzer and the author.