Anderson .Paak helps kick off Boundless Impact campaign with Drillfield concert
Last Friday, several thousand people packed the Drillfield to hear some of today’s popular music artists.
The free evening concert by DJ Earworm, Fitz and The Tantrums, and Anderson .Paak celebrated the launch of Boundless Impact: The Campaign for Virginia Tech.
“It makes me proud to be a Hokie,” said Sam Felber, a senior at Virginia Tech. “It’s cool to see that people you know and listen to are coming five feet away from you for free.”
The concert was open to the Blacksburg and campus community and lasted for four hours. A stage was constructed in front of the Pylons and War Memorial Chapel, leaving the entire Drillfield open for the attendees.
Everyone received an electronic LED CrowdSync bracelet that changed colors as the music played. The audience of mostly students stretched as far back as Burruss Hall, and some sat on blankets on the grass. Others crowded near the stage.
“I really wanted to come to the concert because I wanted to see the student body interact and have a good time on the Drillfield,” said Bella Land, a Virginia Tech senior. “I know that this is the launch of Virginia Tech’s new campaign, and I really wanted to see it come to life.”
The concert opened at 6:30 p.m. with DJ Earworm, a mash-up artist whose songs have racked up millions of views on YouTube. The next performance was Fitz and The Tantrums, an indie pop and soul band that played some hit singles, such as “Hands Clap,” along with new songs from their most recent album.
Finally, Anderson .Paak, a singer and rapper, took the stage, wearing a special edition Frank Beamer No. 25 Virginia Tech football jersey.
Together, these performances set an up-beat tone for the night as the new fundraising campaign was simultaneously introduced.
Boundless Impact: The Campaign for Virginia Tech is an initiative to raise $1.5 billion for the university. And while the concert celebrated the launch of the campaign with community and students, university officials unveiled strategic priorities in the Moss Arts Center.
With a monumental new goal and a memorable event for the community, students felt proud to be a part of Virginia Tech.
“My favorite part about being a Hokie is the community and the relationships that you build here on this campus,” Land said. “They are unlike anything I’ve ever had before college because the Hokie Nation has your back no matter what.”
Written by Haley Cummings and Brendan Coffey, interns for Virginia Tech University Relations
