CREDIT: JORDAN CROW
Fanshawe students, faculty, staff and alumni celebrated the College's 50th birthday both inside and outside the Budweiser Gardens on Sept. 9.

On Saturday Sept. 9, Fanshawe's alumni, faculty, staff and students gathered together at the Budweiser Gardens to enjoy Fanshawe at 50: Live in Concert, a concert commemorating the College's 50th anniversary.

During the show, attendees were treated with three performances by notable and renowned Canadian musical groups. The first act was the electro pop group Brave Shores, which generated both a mellow and psychedelic atmosphere within the stadium.

During the first intermission, Freddie the Falcon made an appearance (with his new makeover), in the pit, to take photos with students and engage with the crowd.

Afterwards, Fanshawe Student Union (FSU) president Morganna Sampson, along with her little sister, joined CTV London's Nick Paparella, who hosted the show, in introducing the Barenaked Ladies to the stage.

“The concert was amazing,” Sampson said. “The students were ecstatic and the staff were full of pride. It was spectacular to see all the individual festivities we've been working on all showcased together in such a fun atmosphere. In a nutshell, it was the birthday party of a lifetime.”

The Barenaked Ladies swapped the tone of the arena with their classic rock tones and a plethora of upbeat guitar and bass solos. The band got attendees to sing along to many of their hit songs such as “If I had a Million Dollars”. While they may have been the oldest of the three groups, the members were light-hearted enough to make a few jokes at their expense. Several times between songs they would refer to themselves as Hedley's dads.

Hedley was in charge of concluding the show. Their performance included a truly charismatic outing from Jacob Hoggard, the group's frontman. With Hoggard's dynamic range, playful sense of humour and the band's stellar performance, the crowd cheered, danced and sang along to the various tracks that were played throughout the night.

Prior to the main event, Fanshawe showcased several of their recent initiatives to engage attendees and build hype during the evening. One of these initiatives was the modified 1967 Ford Falcon that was worked on by over 100 Fanshawe faculty and students. This vehicle was the ultimate automotive tribute to the school as it included a custom Fanshawe engine mount and thematic stitching in the interior.

There was also a stage outside the venue where current students and graduate students from the music industry arts program entertained attendees, building anticipation for the main event.

While exploring both the interior and exterior attractions the evening had to offer, attendees were offered foam fingers and red glow bands from the reputation and brand management department. These accessories helped commemorate the anniversary and gave both new and old falcons the opportunity to showcase their Fanshawe spirit.

“I had a great time at Fanshawe live. It was a great way to celebrate the school and to show school spirit with students, faculty and alumni. I ran into a lot of old friends that I haven't seen in awhile and it was nice to catch up on a few things,” Jacob Brown, a graduate from the graphic design program said in an e-mail interview. “I cannot wait for the future to see what else Fanshawe has in store, but I have to admit this will be pretty hard to top. Once a falcon always a falcon.” Click on the thumbnails below to view a larger version of each image.