SCAD end-of-year concert changes venue, name, scope

It became obvious a few weeks ago that SCAD wasn’t going to be having a huge New Alumni Concert in Forsyth Park on June 2nd. For years, the Friday night before SCAD’s spring commencement has featured a citywide bash in the park, but in past years we always started hearing credible rumors about the event long beforehand.

But SCAD has been changing a lot of things of late — firing staff and reorganizing operations at the Lucas Theatre, restructuring some programs, making some major property moves — and the New Alumni Concert as we have come to know it appears dead. The SCAD master calendar has dropped that official concert name and describes this year’s party as “an evening of music and art” for “new alumni”.

The Fabulous Equinox Orchestra — a really fabulous jazz band! — will perform from 5 to 7 p.m. on June 2nd in the courtyard at the SCAD Museum of Art. The event is free and open to the public, but the timing is hardly conducive to attracting permanent area residents.

There will be a cash bar, but no coolers, outside food, or outside booze will be allowed past security.

So, if the weather is nice and if students find time to show up amidst the bustle of year-end graduation preparations, dorm closures, final art exhibits, and farewells, this sounds like a lovely student-centered event. No sour grapes here — average Savannah residents got well over a decade’s worth of amazing free concerts in Forsyth.

Remember James Brown (2005)? George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic (2004)? Cold War Kids (2011), Michael Franti (2009), The Wailers (2015), Blues Traveler (2006)?

Anyway, I’m sure I’m not the only one sorry to see such a robust tradition end, but it is what it is and we have some great times to remember.