A beautiful soul comes to campus, Jesse McCartney fills Finch with nostalgia
A Disney Channel heartthrob and singer/songwriter filled Finch Fieldhouse with 2000's nostalgia as the venue approached maximum capacity on March 22.
Program Board's annual spotlight concert presented Jesse McCartney, who arrived onstage at about 9:30 p.m. The now 30-year-old musician kicked off his set with a performance of "Leavin,'" a song from 2008 which was nominated for a Teen Choice Award a decade ago.
McCartney, a New York native, was recognized for his appearances on sitcoms Hannah Montana and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. Songs such as "Body Language," "She's No You" and "Shake" filled the building as childhood memories were "Revived," as various audience members suggested.
Alanna Sparks, of Ohio, traveled more than two hours from Grosse Pointe to attend the concert, which she persisted on attending after receiving brain surgery three weeks prior.
"I talked to my occupational therapist, my physical therapist, my nurse, my doctor and my neurosurgeon and they all said I was in the clear to go," she said.
On Feb. 14, Sparks discovered she had a massive cyst growing on her brain, taking on the shape of "half her brain." After receiving removal surgery within that month, Sparks has had to reteach herself how to walk and enjoyed the concert with assistance from a wheelchair.
"I see double because the cyst was so big that it affected my balance and my vision and all of those parts of the brain," she said. "I have to wear an eyepatch (on my left eye) so that I don't see double -- not that seeing double of Jesse McCartney would be a bad thing."
Sparks said she has loved McCartney's music since being exposed to it as an elementary student. Although "Beautiful Soul" is her favorite song of his, she loves his latest works such as his 2014 song "Punch Drunk Recreation."
McCartney later invited her on stage to serenade Sparks with the song "The Stupid Things." Sparks admitted to him on stage that it's been a challenging month, as her condition has obligated her to dropping out her junior year at Central Michigan University.
The band PUBLIC, an alternative rock band, opened for McCartney in a wave of electric guitar solos. They covered songs such as Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone," a tune they described as "very political and very serious" in a comedic manner.
Students from Michigan State University, Saginaw Valley State University, Grand Valley State University and various other colleges were also in attendance.
Ashley Miller, Michigan State University senior, drove from East Lansing after completing classes at 2:30 p.m.
Miller said she heard about the concert "through word of moth" and described the atmosphere as "kind of like a high school homecoming."
"We're just all in a stuffy gym about to dance to such a big throwback," she said. "It really feels that I'm reliving my childhood."
McCartney concluded the evening with "Beautiful Soul" before quietly exiting the facility.
Highland freshman Lydia Patten said it was as though McCartney was checking in on his original fanbase, that are no longer little girls dancing to the Disney Channel but now college kids in the early state of adulthood.
"We were all his fan base, and now we're all grown up," Patten said. "He had the special look of all of our favorite heartthrobs -- with that flippy hair and everything."
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