Written by Tiffany Jones
Setting up for his performance on Midnight Oil’s porch, senior Brandon Ragsdale knew this was going to be a different show. He had played solo shows around town and even performed on the same porch with another band, but there was something special about this show.
Ragsdale was the first performer in the Midnight Oil Porch Series, a series created by the Campus Advisory Board to provide an alternate concert going experience.
“It’s all about smaller events,” said Corey McEntyre, director of Campus Life. “I wanted to have a smaller get-to-know-these-artists, get-to-know-these-students who are amazing musicians type of series.”
CAB partnered with Midnight Oil to set up a smaller more intimate concert setting to showcase talented Harding students and other musicians more suited to that setting.
McEntyre said he thinks the series is important for Harding students who want to perform more but do not get the opportunity. By making the concerts into a series, he said he hopes to keep the audience coming back for more and giving the artists a well-marketed time to shine.
Ragsdale, who kicked off the series Sept. 17, is no stranger to performing. He was most recently the fourth addition to the Midnight Trio, plays in Belles and Beaux and sings with the Harding Chorus.
“I think a lot of people see him in Belles and Beaux and in theatre. I wanted them get to know Brandon as a musician more. ” said McEntyre.
The intimate porch setting made the performance interesting for Ragsdale, who was used to turning up the volume.
“I’m used to playing where, if people get too close, they’re going to lose their hearing,” Ragsdale said. “It was cool because there was definitely more of a closeness between the people watching and myself performing for them.”
Next in the ‘Porch Series’ line up is Annie Williams, a singer songwriter from Nashville, Tenn., on Sept. 30, followed by senior Sam Barker and junior Christian Yoder.
