As I was scrolling through The Granada’s website (thegranada.com) and looking at their upcoming shows, I found myself Googling names, clicking a random song and going “ohhhh!” Hopefully this serves as a great throwback for all of you as we dig a little deeper in to what may have possessed these people to want to come to our little hole-in-the-wall. For those of you who have never had the pleasure of going to or seeing a show at The Granada, it’s one of those Lawrence gems that is definitely… Seasoned.
First up is Aaron Carter. Aaron, for those of you who don’t know or don’t remember, is a pop artist whose claim to fame came in the late ’90’s/early 2000’s, when he wasn’t even old enough to drive. Aaron’s first album was released in 1997 and his biggest hit was “I Want Candy.” By 2000, at just 13, his career was booming. Carter was the Justin Bieber of the early 2000’s and even sparked a feud between Lindsay Lohan and Hilary Duff (apparently he tried to date them both at the same time). Unfortunately by 2006 he had grown too old for his pre-teen audience and his career came to a standstill. His post-heartthrob days have included everything from off-Broadway productions to Dancing with the Stars (no, he didn’t win). Carter also spent some time in rehab in 2011 and filed for bankruptcy in 2013. It’ll be interesting to see what Carter brings to Lawrence on Oct. 10, with opening acts Roger Ortega and Ay Musik. He does realize that is the same night as Late Night in the Phog, right?!
(photo courtesy of Flyleaf’s official page)
Up to bat next is Flyleaf. Flyleaf’s career has been far less scandalous than that of Aaron, but just as satisfying. They released their first EP in 2005 and their first full album just a few months later. The self-titled album featured four stand-alone hits: “I’m So Sick,” “Full Alive,” “All Around Me” and “Sorrow.” Contrary to popular belief, the band takes up residence in the Hard Rock as well as the Christian Rock categories. Since then, the band has released several less popular albums: “Memento Mori” in 2009 and “New Horizons” in 2011. In a way, you could say they found their “true audience” and are still rocking out for them today. Their most recent album, “Between the Stars,” dropped on Sept. 18 so it would be nice to see a reemergence of their stardom within this new record. They will be at The Granada on Oct. 24, with opening acts Lullwater and Ryan White.
In Lawrence Oct. 25 is Kodaline. Not as seasoned as the previous two, but still a band hidden in the shadows, Kodaline is an Irish alternative/indie/folk rock band from Dublin. Their music has been set in the background of television shows and movies time and time again, so I’m sure it’ll sound familiar. Their album, “In a Perfect World” was released in 2011. Of those 11 songs on the album, “All I Want” has definitely been their claim to fame. This song has been featured on “Grey’s Anatomy” (S9, E2), “The Vampire Diaries” (S5, E10), MTV’s “Catfish” and most notably, the recent film “The Fault in Our Stars.” If you’ve heard it and you like it, I would definitely recommend “High Hopes“. Joining them on their trip to LFK is Birds of Tokyo. I’ve already got my tickets!
Next we have Shaggy, a reggae/hip hop artist I KNOW you’ll all remember. Shaggy made his debut with his first album “Pure Pleasure” in 1993 at age 25. He released back-to back-to back albums in ’93, ’94 and ’95 with his 12th and most recent coming out in 2013. His album “Hot Shot” was released in 2000 and features “It Wasn’t Me,” the one I’m sure you all know. In 2010, Shaggy released a single, “Rise Again,” in honor of the the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. This featured Sean Kingston, Tessanne Chin (winner of The Voice) and Shontelle Layne (most known for her song “Impossible”). No opening acts have been named for Shaggy’s scheduled performance at The Granada on Nov. 23, but it’s sure to be “Boombastic.”
(photo courtesy of Augustana’s offical page)
Finally, rounding out our list and coming to Lawrence on Dec. 18 is Augustana. The group has been together since 2003, when students of Greenville College in Illinois came together to make music. They’ve toured with big names such as Maroon 5, The Fray and OneRepublic. Their first album, “All the Stars and Boulevards,” was released in 2005 and featured the song you’ll probably all know them by, “Boston.” “Boston” has been featured on “Scrubs,” “Smallville” and even “One Tree Hill.” Since their big break they have released three other albums: “Can’t Love, Can’t Hurt” in 2008, a self-titled album in 2011 and “Life Imitating Life,” which dropped on April 22 of this year. Like Shaggy, no opening acts have been listed for their trip to LFK but either way, I wouldn’t want to miss it.
So hopefully by the end of this, some of you feel as “old” as I do, but I definitely enjoyed the throwback. I’m very impressed with The Granada’s lineup for this semester and I think that everyone can find a show that they’d like to go to. I think of seeing a show at The Granada as something to put on your “Before I Graduate from KU” bucket list, if you haven’t I definitely encourage you to do so.