The Notre Dame football team played their final regular season home game against Virginia Saturday, conquering the Cavaliers, and the halftime show, as well as the end of the third quarter, was truly special.
Chicago — Claire
If you have read my article regarding football, you know I am not a huge fan of large crowds and loud noise. This leads to my next comment which is that I have never been to a real live concert. (I know, I know — don’t judge me, alright.) That being said, as I was sitting in the student section watching the band perform, I got to see a “mini concert” performed by the hit rock ‘n’ roll band Chicago, performing two of their songs, “Saturday in the Park” and “25 or 6 to 4.” While I was not familiar with these songs or a fan of rock ‘n’ roll, it was an amazing experience as an almost “mini concert” with all of the energy in the stadium.
As halftime approached and I was sitting with my roommate as the band was announced, I was a bit skeptical. I had never really heard of Chicago before, but (apparently) everyone else in the student section had so I figured it was worth a shot. Written mainly by Robert Lamm, their first song “Saturday in the Park” started off slow with keyboard and trumpet before bringing in the singers. I thought this was interesting because while it is considered a rock song, the use of brass and keyboard throughout the song made me think it leaned more towards the jazz genre. One of the things I enjoyed was how the lyrics told a story and the audience could feel what the singers were feeling.
The second song they performed, “25 or 6 to 4”, hit on the idea of being a rock ‘n’ roll band as the instruments used are more commonly seen in rock. Unlike their previous song, this song featured bass guitar as well as an electric guitar solo which. I really enjoyed the guitar solo when they were playing live because it really brought up the energy in the stadium.
Overall, for my first “concert,” it was very well performed and the different musical themes were impressive and enjoyable.
Bon Jovi and the Alma Mater — Ayden
Notre Dame’s recurring fourth quarter light shows during their night games have always succeeded as visual spectacles, though their music choices fail to match them. The greatest source of energy in the stadium is the student section, and the safe song selection during these light shows misses the opportunity to spur the students into leading the entire stadium into an uproar. (By comparison, during the Texas A&M-Notre Dame game, Kyle Field played very directly to its student population, deploying Kanye West’s “Power” and multiple encores of Sheck Wes’ “Mo Bamba” to deafen College Station.) Notre Dame woke up echoes across the stadium during the Virginia game, however, using the eternally anthemic “Livin’ on a Prayer” as the soundtrack to its latest light show.
The multigenerational audience for Notre Dame football poses a surely massive challenge for curating music and mid-game entertainment, but the soaring chorus and the universally-felt aspiration in its lyrics stirred attendees across all demographics. The colossal karaoke session serves as a reminder that one of the most beautiful aspects of Notre Dame’s football program is its ambition and ability to awaken joy in people at all sorts of stops along so many roads of life.
But for me, the musical highlight of the entire season was the band’s rendition of the Alma Mater during halftime. As a senior, it set in during this performance that this was not only my last or penultimate football game in the Notre Dame student section, but also my final year as an undergraduate here, which has been the best experience of my life. I got too emotional to sing along, a strange experience to have in as public a place as the student section. But in retrospect, while I still ache knowing I may never get to echo out in that place surrounded by many of my best friends again, the Alma Mater reminds me that this grief is only a side effect of a persisting blessing: I get to forever love thee, Notre Dame.
