One Republic rocks campus at Fall Fest

Ryan Tedder of One Republic struck the final chord on the piano with his head, signaling the end to his band’s rendition of Kanye West’s “Gold Digger.”

Tedder, the pop-rock band’s lead vocalist, led his fellow members in a combination of cover songs and their own songs as the headliner performance for Pitt’s Fall Fest. 

The annual Fall Fest took place Sunday between 1 and 5 p.m. on Bigelow Boulevard. Pitt Police blockaded the street to create space for an estimated 3,000 attendees who came out to watch live concerts and pick up some freebies. The event, organized by the Pitt Program Council, featured live performances by One Republic and student band Acaica Street, who opened after winning this fall’s Battle of the Bands.

One Republic performers, dressed in black and sporting sunglasses, took the stage at 3 p.m. The band, energized by the crowd’s cheering, performed some of its most well-known songs, including “Apologize” and “Stop and Stare.” 

The audience constantly participated by filling in the lyrics to songs when Tedder offered them the microphone. Students swayed their hands in the air to the rhythm of the music. 

“Ya’ll so perfect it hurts, Pittsburgh,” Tedder said. 

In the past, Fall Fest was similar to a fair or carnival, allowing students to visit various food and game booths on the William Pitt Union lawn. The event did not always showcase musical artists, but  Pitt Program Council switched gears over the past couple years by beginning to host popular bands. 

TruthLIVE, the sponsor of One Republic’s concert, visited Pitt as one of the five college campuses on their smoking prevention tour this year. TruthLIVE is an anti-smoking campaign, and its college tour riders provided activities for students including a truth truck with games and giveaways. 

Ras U-Ahk, who is part of the tour group, said the purpose of the tour is to interact with the youth and provide them with the facts of tobacco use without using a message that could come off as preaching. 

These facts were subtly distributed to students on small labels on the giveaways as well as on a screen displayed during the concert.

U-Ahk said that students could do whatever they pleased with those facts. 

“We hope it saves a life,” he said. 

While last year’s Fall Fest included both booths and a musical performance, this year’s festivities did not include the booths.

According to Taylor Steffey, Pitt Program Council’s special events director, this year’s festival did not include booths because the council did not want them to distract the audience from One Republic, one of the more popular acts Pitt has hosted.

Steffey said the council distributed advertisements for this year’s event through social media, email lists, newsletters and stickers posted around campus. 

“There’s not an excuse not to know about it,” she said. 

At the end of August, after three months of preparation, Pitt Program Council officially announced that One Republic would perform.

Steffey, along with eight students who belong to Pitt Program Council, began researching potential performers and reaching out to musical groups last spring. Suggestions from other PPC committee members, as well as costs and timing, also influenced the decision.

Students said that they were pleased with the decision to host One Republic. 

Junior Reid Carter said that the concert was even better than he had expected. In comparison to other concerts Pitt has held in the past, Carter said that this was one of the most enjoyable ones. He also said that the weather contributed to the experience. 

“We lucked out. It was a beautiful day,” he said. 

Even Tedder acknowledged the abnormally sunny October day. 

“We want to thank the Cathedral for standing the test of time and blocking the sun for us,” he said.