Securing Spektor

Author: Melissa Marshall

After a mixed student body response to MCAB's unveiling of Guster as the headliners for last year's Spring Concert, the activities board is hoping to score a crowd-pleaser with critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Regina Spektor.

"The inspiration to get Regina probably originated after MCAB and the InterCommons Council merged, which resulted in a bigger budget for concerts, prompting us to bring acts from a wider array of genres," wrote MCAB Concert co-chair Sam Morrill '08. "Since we haven't had a female vocalist come to Midd in a while, Regina seemed like a perfect show to make up for that absence. We also felt that Regina's music bridges a lot of gaps within the student body and would be well received by most, if not all, students. She's also on the upswing of her career, which certainly made her appealing."

Spektor's June 2006 release Begin to Hope allowed her to slip into mainstream culture thanks to its major label backing and more polished sound. Her reputation as a veteran of the New York anti-folk scene mixed with the comerical success of her fifth album seems to make Spektor a clever choice for Morrill and fellow co-chair Kate Perry '07.5 as they attempt to maintain the peace between the aficionados and apathetic.

Regina Spektor, a dual threat of powerful vocals and passionate piano-playing, will be accompanied by a currently undisclosed opening act.