Up-and-coming crooner Josh Thompson has become a recent hit in the music industry (his most recent hit, “Comin’ Around,” frequently plays on my Pandora station!)Following last winter’s hit-and-run tragedy, in which dining worker Colleen Brehm was severely injured, Student Union organized a benefit concert in her honor featuring country artist Josh Thompson.
Josh Thompson grew up surrounded by music. Oldies rock hits from the Beach Boys, and country tunes by Randy Travis were some of his favorites. Surprisingly, he didn’t lay his hands on a guitar until he was twenty-one.
“I wanted to be able to play my favorite songs,” he said. “It wasn’t until I was almost twenty-two, when I could play decently enough, and I wrote my first song; it was just in my blood at that point.”
Fireside practice sessions with his band of buds eventually led Thompson to Nashville, where he got to work writing songs and “meeting music people.”
Being on the road so much can’t be easy, but Thompson makes the best of it. He says, “It just makes getting home that much sweeter.”Thompson loves getting to travel around the country and see, “Real America, and get in front of people I haven’t had the chance to before, and just make fans.”
One of the best parts about performing for a live audience, Thompson reveals, is “…watching people singing lyrics I wrote three or four years ago make an impact.”
In preparation for his Wake appearance, Thompson was hoping to, “Keep things upbeat, [with] no dead spaces. I want to keep the music flowing and the energy up,” he said.
Thompson also revealed that he particularly enjoys performing for “People who know how to have fun.” (He obviously came to the right place!)
At Thompson’s concert, the student body didn’t disappoint. Despite the cold temperature and sporadic drizzle, students and faculty alike all flocked to Davis Field. Complete with a beer garden and plenty of finger food, fans first rocked out to the tunes of Sigma Chi alum Parker Bradway’s band, before warmly welcoming Josh Thompson to the stage. Thompson performed many songs from his first record, as well as some newer beats and covers.
In the middle of all the mayhem was a beaming Colleen Brehm. She swayed to the music, surrounded by friends and students, all wishing her a speedy recovery.
Sophomore Brad Vonick, a member of Student Union, shared his thoughts on the gig.
“There’s so much momentum going on right now. I think it really shows how we’re bringing the whole community together – people off campus and alumni too. When we were setting up we were working with Sigma Chi as opposed to competing…it was a joint effort.”
Josh Thompson’s smooth vocals, catchy lyrics, and charming personality brought some always-welcome Wake Wednesday fun to campus, and also benefited Student Union’s important cause.
This visiting campus celebrity is sure to go far as he heads back Nashville. If you missed the event, be sure to check out his music online or on iTunes!