The amphitheater is empty, awaiting the arrival of the concert junkies and music buffs of our community this Saturday, Nov. 18. For the first time ever, three student bands – The Daily Havoc, The Balconies, and The Lucky 7’s – are joining forces to host what they have cleverly named the “Burnout Music Festival.” Joining our line-up of musicians is an accompaniment of free food: a taco truck sponsored by the Furman University Student Activities Board (FUSAB) and catering from Henry’s Smokehouse sponsored by the Residential Life Council RLC. An event destined to become a part of Furman’s yearly calendar, the festival is free for all and ticketless.
The Burnout Music Festival plans to showcase student talent in a way never before seen on Furman’s campus. Started by a student rock band for student rock bands, Burnout is one of the first music festivals of its kind to grace Furman’s campus. While many events at Furman utilize student talent, Burnout highlights a niche sub-culture on campus for all to enjoy.
“There is not a whole lot of things that are ‘just’ live music,” said The Daily Havoc lead vocalist Andrew Cooter ‘25. “The Balconies, literally last night, were playing for a Panhellenic event. So the idea (of Burnout) is we want to emphasize the rock scene.”
Even if Furman has never had a dedicated festival celebrating student bands, the rock scene on campus is thriving. Many student events, for example, have been graced by a set from The Balconies, a band Cooter described as “dad-rock.”
“I think of my dad out grilling while having their songs playing,” Cooter said with a laugh.
What’s more, a new band has made waves on the scene – composed of duo William Nix ‘27 and Will Jackson ‘27. The Lucky 7s, while first-year students, are credentialed creatives with a Spotify album slotted with a whole set of original music. For the upcoming music festival, they will have a selection of cover music thrown in as well to diversify their set.
The Burnout Music Festival was built on the same sentiments that gave Cooter and Rohan Halloran ‘24’s band, The Daily Havoc, its start. Burnout was created out of a love of music, a love that wanted to push the boundaries of “what is” into “what can be.”
“We wanted to show people that this was possible, that this could be done, and encourage people to start something similar to our (band),” said Cooter. “Burnout came to be because me and the band were looking for a gig, and we were like, ‘let’s just start our own.’”
Cooter is also this year’s student body treasurer for the Student Government Association (SGA). This experience and network, combined with his many contributions to campus arts, is what allowed him to secure the more practical elements making Burnout possible. Cooter is a shining example of how student interests and endeavors can be brought together to fill a void and to make campus all the more vibrant, exciting, and engaging.
This is what the Burnout Music Festival aims to achieve in bringing the campus community together. Just as The Daily Havoc has worked to be an inspiration and labor of love, SGA has worked to bring Furman a new tradition for class years to come.
“With the mission of SGA’s executive board, we want to make Furman a place that allows for new, exciting traditions to be made,” Cooter wrote in an additional statement.
But Burnout may be as much a new beginning as an inevitable end for The Daily Havoc, which was started and developed by Halloran, who will graduate this spring.
“This (band) was Rohan’s baby,” said Cooter. “He made all the original (songs), he approached the original members. I do not think I could continue The Daily Havoc without Rohan. So maybe I will start something else next year, we’ll see, but for now, it is looking like the music festival will be our final hurrah. So we’re hoping for a big turnout.”
Rock enthusiasts and music junkies are encouraged to attend and celebrate the commencement of this exciting new festival tomorrow from 4-7 p.m. at the amphitheater. Come support the creative fire of student bands before it burns out — until next year.
