IN CONCERT
UVic Rooftop Concert
Where: Student Union Building (SUB)
When: Friday, 2 to 4 p.m.
Admission: Free
Remember when The Beatles famously performed an unannounced concert atop their London studio in 1969 - their final public show and possibly the most famous rooftop concert in pop music history?
Most University of Victoria students will be too young to recall the historic event first hand, but on Friday they'll partake in the decades-old tradition hosted by CFUV 101.9.
Former UVic student Kathryn Calder, best known for her work with the New Pornographers, headlines a one-time-only event atop the Student Union Building, also open to the public. She'll be joined by local Motown and soul group the Chantrelles and indie-alternative super group Rugged Uncle.
"This is pretty much a one-time event," said station manager Randy Gelling. "If we just did a regular show outside of the SUB or inside the SUB, it would have been a lot less work, but it would have been a lot less unique and fun."
Staff at the station were inspired to pitch the concert idea after coming across a photo in the school's archives that documents a rooftop show from 1967, he said.
"It started in 1965, apparently, when the Student Union Building opened," he said. "They had concerts on the roof for the first few years until, you know, someone became sane or something and decided to not let that happen anymore."
CFUV ran into significant red tape the first time it considered the idea in conjunction with the station's 25th anniversary three years ago. "We thought, imagine if we could do that," he said. "We looked into it, but in the modern day, it's very hard to arrange to do something like that. ... It's not just like, oh, let's just walk out on the roof and do a show."
They saw the university's 50th anniversary celebrations as an opportunity to get the green light, however. And after jumping through several hoops - safety regulations required that they install a railing, put down mats so the roof wouldn't be damaged, raise the stage and collect consent forms - the stage is set for the nostalgic show.
"We knew it was going to be a lot of work just because of the liability issues, and the modern-day way things are these days - obviously quite different from the 1960s," he said. "But it's gone pretty well."
Since publicizing the event, they've even had one woman who participated in the 1960s rooftop shows come out of the woodwork, bringing the project full circle.
Each of Friday's performers has a connection to the university. Calder was a UVic student and performed on CFUV before her career took off and she joined Immaculate Machine and the New Pornographers. The Chantrelles counts both current and former UVic students among its members. And Rugged Uncle includes alumni Brooke Gallupe and Luke Kozlowski, also former members of Immaculate Machine.
Though hosted on campus, the concert is open to the public. In conjunction with other 50th anniversary celebrations, audience members can also sign UVic's birthday card, grab free cupcakes or purchase hot dogs at the event.
The rooftop show also provides a prelude to a 50th anniversary concert planned for Saturday in the Quadrangle, which will feature Acres of Lions, Hayley McLean, Carmanah and the Busy Island Gamelan.
Given the challenges of mounting the rare event, Gelling said it won't likely occur again anytime soon.
"It's a one-off," he said. "But I mean, who knows? Maybe in another 50 years they'll let us do it again."
