“Hello, college people,” Rufus Wainwright shouted and the crowdof about 1,000 people at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall Thursday nightburst into cheers.
In A&O Productions first concert of the year, the eclecticWainwright took center stage along with opening act Ben Lee, anAustralian singer and guitarist.
Students lined up in front of Pick-Staiger more than five hoursbefore the concert, which was general admission. One such fan wasCommunication freshman Emerie Whitman-Allen who had seenWainwright’s show in Chicago Wednesday night.
“He took my Rufus virginity, and it was good,” Whitman-Allensaid. “If only he wasn’t gay.”
Gay humor was an overriding element of the evening, beginningwith Lee’s performance, when he interjected after a lyricalreference to San Francisco, “Hey, there’s gay people there.”
An hour after the doors opened, Lee walked inconspicuously tothe stage, guitar in hand.
“Hey, if anyone plays guitar, can I borrow a pick?” Leeasked.
After receiving a pick from the second row, Lee performed a45-minute set including songs from his upcoming album, “Awake Isthe New Sleep.”
The crowd responded enthusiastically to Lee, but when Wainwrightcame on stage there was no doubt about who the audience was thereto see.
The opening chords of the set were the only thing that wouldcalm down the audience, and Wainwright jumped right in with hissignature vocals, a mix of classical training a passion to find thesoul of rock.
“I wrote this song about Jeff Buckley who is a mythic figure atthis point,” Wainwright said, before launching into a bittersweetsong in which he related his relationship with Buckley’s legacy tothe story of Orpheus and Euridice.
The piece was followed by “Hallelujah,” the Leonard Cohen songthat Buckley made famous on his 1994 album “Grace.”
Raucous applause also greeted Wainwright hits “Peach Trees” and”Want One” from his September 2003 album of the same name.
After his hour-long set, Wainwright thanked the crowd and leftthe stage, returning almost immediately to accept the audience’sstanding ovation.
As he launched into his famous “Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk,”the crowd cheered in recognition, and joined him in singing most ofthe song.
After his encore, Wainwright peered into the darkened crowd,shielded his eyes from the lights and mouthed, “Wow.”
A&O consistently has brought a diverse group of performersto its concert series and annual ball. Bands such as Guided byVoices, Mos Def, Zwan and Queens of the Stone Age have headlinedA&O events on and off campus. The Roots and Common performed atlast spring’s A&O Ball.
Reach Tristan Arnold at [email protected].
