Readers Write
Why these 17 concerts on campus will stay with alumni forever
From Barenaked Ladies to Billy Joel to Foo Fighters, alumni share some of their most memorable and magical concert experiences at UBC.
In July, we asked UBC alumni to tell us about a concert or show they saw on campus and never forgot. Their responses were heart-warming, thrilling, and funny (and they made us want to get out there and catch another concert on campus!).
The venues spanned every size at UBC—from Thunderbird Stadium to the Pit Pub to the daycare at Acadia Park. Some alumni danced to complete unknowns only to watch them rocket to fame while others were first in line for tickets to see their faves, and still others learned why an artist was special to someone close to them. Whether it took place decades ago or this past summer, whether it was in a packed stadium, a cozy bar, or even a lecture hall, each performance has one thing in common: the experience will stick with these UBC grads (and grads-to-be) for life.
We hope the stories below strike a chord and bring to mind your own special memory of a standout show, concert, or moment on campus. And be sure to read to the end for a special Spotify playlist surprise!
BEFORE THEY GOT BIG
The Beach Boys at War Memorial Gym in 1973
What made it memorable? The opening act—no one had heard of Billy Joel.
What made it extra special? Attending with my then-girlfriend Ruth Barchard (BEd’75). We have now been together for 50+ years!
Barenaked Ladies at Arts County Fair in 1992
It was such an amazing local concert by a Canadian band with such a fun vibe in the audience. They engaged the audience and it just had this very local and chill feel to it. Then to see them so famous later made it almost surreal. Barenaked Ladies is now a household name!
Noah Kahan at Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre in 2023
Noah Kahan is my favourite artist, and he came up to Vancouver to play at UBC in August of 2023. I was thrilled! I am a UBC Okanagan alum and had never been to the Vancouver campus before, so I was really excited to be able to see a show there.
Noah was absolutely fantastic, and so humble and excited to be playing for such a large group of people at a sold-out show. We sang our hearts out the whole time! The following year he came back to Vancouver, but he played at Rogers Arena. I can say I saw him before he got really big!
Various artists at the Pit Pub and the Gallery Patio & Lounge in the early 2000s
I worked at the Pit Pub and the Gallery Patio & Lounge throughout my two degrees at UBC. I was fortunate to see so many great acts, including many unexpectedly awesome shows, during my time there.
Zach Galifianakis was an up-and-coming comedian who was nice enough to chat with me after the show. I told him that I had seen him on Conan O'Brien a few times, and we struck up a conversation. This was long before he found superstardom in The Hangover.
I was also lucky enough to see some huge acts (before they got big) perform in tiny venues, specifically the Gallery Lounge. The two that stand out here are Tokyo Police Club and multiple Dan Mangan shows. It was an incredibly intimate setting for awesome shows.
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention two standout shows at the Pit Pub... De La Soul was a shockingly huge act for such a small venue. I got to chat with the guys, and it was great. And finally, Girl Talk—possibly the best party the Pit has seen in my time there. Mash-ups were new, the crowd was hot, and the room was absolutely rocking.
IS IT EVEN A VANCOUVER CONCERT IF IT DOESN’T RAIN?
Red Hot Chili Peppers at Thunderbird Stadium in 1992
It was a great show despite the fact it rained like crazy and I got so wet! Even the people bodysurfing in the crowd were like wet fish. But it did not matter because Flea and the Chili Peppers were such a great act in their prime. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Radiohead at Thunderbird Stadium in 2003
They were amazing and one of the bigger stadium-filling bands to have played at UBC. They have this song that goes “the raindrops, the raindrops…” and just at that moment the skies opened up and it started raining—with laser beams and lights bumping on the stage. The epic timing still gives me chills. I’ll never ever forget that.
THE ERRONEOUS ENCORE
The Poppy Family at the SUB Ballroom in 1969
I chaired the SUB Opening Committee; we decided to put on a festival of events to open the new building by showcasing as many venues as possible and getting as many students as possible into the building. It was an incredibly ambitious task, and January 1969 was jam-packed with events and preparation. Some highlights included SUB Ballroom concerts by The Poppy Family, Collectors (renamed Chilliwack shortly thereafter), and Gordon Lightfoot.
By the time the concerts came along during the week, I was exhausted from activity and lack of sleep. Before I went out to introduce The Poppy Family, Terry Jacks, their leader, told me they planned to do an encore. My cue would be when he put his guitar down.
I went out on stage, introduced them, and went off stage. Then I started talking with folks about other events and lost track of time. I turned as a song ended and saw Terry put his guitar down. “Okay, this is it,” I thought and walked back on stage to thank the band and ask the audience if they wanted an encore. I got roundly booed—it was only a few minutes into their set.
Terry came over and told me I was too early. I sheepishly walked off stage to more booing, handed the mike off to someone else, and left the room, too embarrassed to come back for the encore.
The SUB opening was a huge success. We packed the building for everything from horror movies to art shows, dances to bowling, and even bridge and pool tournaments. I slept for a couple days when it was over.
THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE
Professor Richard Spratley’s impromptu set in CHEM 120 in the early ’90s
Nobody expects the prof to start playing folk guitar and singing in the middle of class to demonstrate the principles of resonance. He had a good singing voice.
Frankie Goes to Hollywood at War Memorial Gym in 1985
The concert was a lot of fun (how often does a crowd get sprayed with whipped cream by a band??) and the Gym was a-rockin'. The fans were going crazy and, in the excitement, a young woman fainted and had to be taken out with medical assistance. She was brought through the crowd at the front of the stage and, years later, I found out she was a fellow member of the UBC Film Society. Small world!
Fred Penner at the Pit Pub in 2010
When I learned that a cherished children's performer was coming to the campus pub, it seemed so random—and what does a student like more than a random experience?
Sitting on the floor of the Pit is not something that would normally be advisable, but in this case, it was a magical moment. I felt so lucky to be there with friends, singing and swaying along as Mr. Penner performed our childhood favourites.
PARENT-CHILD BONDING
The Pursuit of Happiness and Ashley MacIsaac at Thunderbird Stadium in 1996
I was in my second year, living in family housing, and I brought my 3 ½-year-old daughter to Thunderbird Stadium for the concert. We jammed in the mosh pit and had a great time. She still loves TPOH and Ashley MacIsaac.
Concert organized by UBC Daycare at Acadia Park c. 1990
As a single-parent student, I had no money to go to most shows or concerts on campus. My two children and I lived in student housing (Melfa Court) and both of my children went to daycare and/or after-school care on campus.
A dance instructor was brought into my younger son's daycare for a few weeks when he was five years old. Tim loved the dancing and was in fact the only boy who joined in. They gave a concert in June that year, and I was transfixed by my son as he leapt around the stage without an ounce of self-consciousness while holding a long, twirling ribbon—the only little boy amongst a group of similarly joyful twirling children. It is a sight I have never forgotten.
He is now 40 years old, works in heavy duty construction equipment, and is a dad of another joyful, twirling gymnast/dancer.
Joji at Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre in 2022
It was the first concert I went to with my teenage daughter since we saw the Wiggles when she was four. I did not expect to enjoy Joji's concert at all. The only reason I went was because my daughter has loved Joji and his music since she was nine, but none of her friends had ever heard of him, so she didn't have anyone to go to the concert with.
I was bracing myself for a long night, but as soon as he stepped onto the stage, I discovered that despite some questionable humour, Joji was a very talented singer-songwriter, and I walked out of his concert a fan—probably his oldest fan judging from all the young concertgoers I saw that night.
My daughter was so happy to see that I finally understood why she thought Joji was awesome. We even went to a second concert of his one year later when he returned to Vancouver in October 2023. My daughter and I think the concert at UBC had more meaning for us and we will never forget that night.
Opera Under the Stars at UBC Okanagan’s Central Courtyard in 2025
This year was the 10th anniversary of the collaboration between Opera Kelowna and UBCO and, as in previous years, the tickets sold out within days of being posted.
Although the weather had been threatening rain, the sky had cleared by the time we settled ourselves in the Courtyard, which was crowded with people sitting on blankets or in lawn chairs. As the sun began to set, the four talented singers enchanted us with their beautiful voices, as did an extremely talented young man with his bass fiddle.
The highlight for me came when they sang several songs by Franz Lehar. It brought back memories of my mother and me waltzing about the house on Saturday mornings with our mops and brooms. My mother had brought several precious records with her when we immigrated from Germany to Canada in 1950, mostly of Lehar and Johann Strauss—reminders of a more peaceful time when she accompanied her father to the theatre in Elbing (now named Elblag).
A NIGHT FOR THE BOOKS
Don Toliver at Block Party in 2024
When the AMS announced Don Toliver was coming to UBC, I lost my mind. He’s one of my all-time favourite artists, so the second tickets dropped, I was in. The show was everything I hoped for—he played fresh tracks from his Hardstone Psycho album like “Tore Up” and “Deep in the Water,” and even hit my personal favourite, “Too Many Nights” by Metro Boomin featuring Future.
I rolled up with my boys, already several drinks deep—let’s just say “hydration” was not an issue that night. The energy in the crowd was insane, the bass felt like it was shaking the Nest off its foundation, and we were just vibing the whole time.
And because one night with Don Toliver wasn’t enough, we headed straight to the Pit after for the official afterparty. Between the music, the drinks, and trying to remember where we left our jackets, it turned into one of those nights you tell stories about for years.
A SECOND CHANCE TO CATCH THE CD ERA
Foo Fighters at War Memorial Gym in 1997
I missed my chance to see Nirvana play in Edmonton just after being a student at the University of Alberta until 1990. I managed to take in a lot of live acts, but Nirvana and the grunge movement were just gaining momentum, with a number of new bands out of Seattle making it big.
Kurt Cobain sadly died in 1994, but their drummer, Dave Grohl, had re-formed the band as the Foo Fighters. Their first major tour was in 1997 for The Colour and the Shape, and when I learned they were playing at UBC, I jumped at the opportunity to attend.
I was earning a post-grad diploma at UBC at the time and the price of a ticket was $32.50—a lot for a student in those days! But the price of admission would prove to be worth it.
Finding the venue at night didn’t take long, even though these were the days before smart phones, the internet, and Google Maps—I just had to follow the crowds and look for the handwritten or photocopied signs posted on the War Memorial Gym doors.
Treble Charger, a Canadian indie band, opened that night, playing a couple of their songs—FM radio and MuchMusic TV hits at the time. They were followed by Talk Show, a band formed by three members of Stone Temple Pilots (minus lead singer Scott Weiland who was in and out of rehab at the time). Their performance alone made the ticket price worth it.
But the main event was the Foo Fighters, who I had been waiting to see since the Nirvana days with Kurt Cobain. Front man Dave Grohl delivered a high-energy show from start to finish. Even though it was a weeknight show, it felt like I had taken in a full-on rock festival, not unlike Arts County Fair.
In total, Foo Fighters played 19 songs, many of which were massive hits like “This is a Call,” “Monkey Wrench,” “Big Me,” “Everlong,” and “I’ll Stick Around.”
When I left War Memorial Gym that night, I couldn’t help smiling to myself, satisfied that I got to experience a bit of Seattle grunge and alternative rock history during the CD era.
CONVERT FOR LIFE
Pete Seeger at the Auditorium in 1959
It was the spring of 1959. At least I think so—though at the age of 90, my memory is not what it was…
One of my hangouts on campus was a cafe which featured delicious apple pie and ice cream. Housed in a large building across Main Mall from the library, and known as the Auditorium, it was a focal point for films and concerts.
Years before, it had been rocked to its sturdy foundations by a visit from the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, who arrived on campus quite intoxicated and was more-or-less carried on stage. But the waif-like figure had suddenly galvanized into action and delivered a poetry reading of hypnotic power and eloquence. People still talked about him in reverential tones.
As I have intimated, my epiphany at the Auditorium came later. My memorable moment was courtesy of Pete Seeger, already an icon on American college campuses, whose protest songs and political activism had made him the hero of many leftist students. A singer-songwriter who believed in the power of song to initiate social change, Seeger had helped revitalize the folk music scene. Blacklisted by the establishment, he was already the working-class champion of numerous progressive causes.
Unlike Thomas before him, Seeger strode casually on stage, wearing a plaid shirt and jeans—a balding, stooping figure, hardly destined, it seemed, for adulation. But his high, resonant voice (pitched between tenor and countertenor) and his plangent five-string guitar did the talking. Cherished and familiar songs filled the Auditorium: “If I Had a Hammer,” Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land,” the haunting “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?,” the ageless ballad “Barbara Allen.”
“The Bells of Rhymney,” a reverberant Welsh miners’ elegy which showcased his virtuosity on the 12-string guitar, reduced me to tears. Everyone stood for his climactic anthem, “We Shall Overcome,” the gospel song that had come to define the civil rights movement.
For a magical two hours, Pete Seeger had assumed the role of singer, sage, and messiah. We were all converts that day. I still am…
Grads who groove: UBC alumni dance mix
What's a song that, whenever it comes on, makes you want to dance?
We posed this question to UBC grads and these 30+ hits, released between 1954 and 2024, were tunes they were keen to share. Press play—and get ready to groove!
