Sounds of the Square: Study Breaks and Spring Break

It looks like we’ve reached the point in the semester that Harvard likes to call “midterm period”—that nebulous, not-really-midterm span of weeks beginning right after add-drop period and leading up to, essentially, the day before reading period.

In spirit of this happy time of year, and in spirit of the goal of this column, last week I decided to take a study break to TD Garden to catch up with my pals Sting and Paul Simon. As much as Brain Break fills a void on those lonely Sunday nights, no amount of peanut butter and dry cereal can compare to the joy of watching a Real Housewife rock out to "Roxanne" so hard that she spills her $15 Cosmo all over herself.

In Review: Paul Simon and Sting, On Stage Together

What struck me the most about this concert was how well Paul Simon and Sting’s voices have held up all these years. Also, Paul Simon is, like, REALLY short. There was a point when he walked by the rhythm section and was almost entirely obscured by an African-looking drum (which resembled the Fertility Vase of the Ndebele tribe)

In all seriousness though, it was an amazing night full of my favorite classics from both of the performers’ repertoires. I belted along to “Message in a Bottle”, “You Can Call Me Al”, and my personal favorite, “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover”. Simon and Sting’s duets brought me to my feet, and dancing along was fun after I got past the awkwardness of all the tipsy-middle-aged bopping going on around me. But hey, white haired dude with the soul patch hip thrusting in the staircase, you do you.

This Week: Los Lonely Boys – March 19th @ 8:00 pm, Paradise Rock Club. $33

If you didn’t make it off campus, or if going home for spring break is more like a 20 minute car ride for you, then definitely hit up the Paradise Rock Club this Wednesday. Paradise Rock Club is one of my favorite venues in Boston – it’s intimate standing room with the benefit of top-billed bands. Los Lonely Boys have always been close to my heart – the bilingual, Santana-influenced band of brothers always transport me to sunny skies and warm weather with their feel-good music (if only in my mind). Though they topped the charts with their 2003 hit “Heaven,” my all-time favorite is “Nobody Else.”

Harvard Happenings: Dins Anniversary Concert, March 29th, Sanders Theater. $12, $10 for groups

The Din & Tonics, one of Harvard’s all-male a cappella groups beloved for their on-stage antics and their lime green socks, will be hosting their 35th anniversary concert in Sanders Theater on the 29th. Although the Dins are known for their traditional jazzy style, in the last few years they have been branching out to more contemporary music, including songs from artists like Imogen Heap and Frank Ocean. No matter what, the Dins’ musicianship and stage presence will please both die-hard fans and newcomers to the Harvard a cappella scene – if anything, come for Dinpressions, where the Dins use their bodies to act out hilarious charades.

On The Radar: Avicii, April 10th @ 7:30, TD Garden. Tickets starting at $30.

Chart-topping Swedish DJ Avicii has recently announced that he will be launching his North American #TRUETOUR. While Avicii rose to fame with solo tracks like “Levels”, his recent collaboration with singer Aloe Blacc on “Wake Me Up” has topped charts around the globe. The tour will kick off at TD Garden on the 10th, and it’ll be a party you won’t want to miss. Get your tickets fast, because the arena is already beginning to sell out!