MSC Town Hall

MSC Town Hall is a music-programming organization at Texas A&M University. The faculty advisor of Town Hall is Dave Salmon.

It was formed in 1951, the same year the Memorial Student Center facility was built. MSC Town Hall was one of the first student committees in the MSC organization.

In the 1970's, Town Hall successfully presented large-scale concerts on Friday nights of football game weekends at G. Rollie White Coliseum on Texas A&M's campus. Tickets were generally $3-$5 and artists such as Billy Joel, Johnny Cash, and the Beach Boys sold out the 8,000-capacity Coliseum.

In the early 1980s, Lyle Lovett, director of the "Basement Committee", an organization responsible for hosting open mic and poetry readings, combined his committee with Town Hall. This new initiative of Town Hall, small programming, became known as Coffeehouse. Coffeehouse hosted grassroots concerts at Rumour's Deli in the MSC facility.

Illinois resident Dave Salmon became the faculty advisor of Town Hall in 1989, at the age of 25.

In 1997, at the behest of a Town Hall student, the organization purchased its first P.A. system, and began hosting weekly outdoor concerts. These concerts became known as "Lunchbox Concerts" and "Play Anything Say Anythings", a dual-form series that not only hosted established acts, but encouraged students at any level to perform.

In the fall of 2003, Town Hall turned away from large-concert promotions as a result of statewide budget cuts to public Universities.

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A People's History of Town Hall

1994-'95
Chair: Patrick "Cone" Conway
Large Concerts: Clay Walker;Lyle Lovett; & Sponge.
1995-'96
Chair: Bryan Quarles
Large Concerts: Harry Connick, Jr.
1998-'99
Large Concerts: Bill Cosby; Garth Brooks; & Faith Hill.
1999-'00
Large Concerts: Jeff Foxworthy; Destiny's Child; & Live.
2000-'01
Large Concerts: Bill Cosby & Jimmy Fallon.
2001-'02
Large Concerts: Jeff Foxworthy supported by Bill Engvall; Angie Aparo; Tim Reynolds supported by Greg Howard; & Nickelback supported by Default, Injected & Starsailor.
Chair: Nate Taylor
2002-'03
Large Concerts: Martin Short supported by Mark Curry; Kier Spates hosting for Kenny Howell, & Damon Williams; Robert Earl Keen supported by Cowboy Mouth, & [http://www.rodneyhayden.com/ Rodney Hayden] ; Jars of Clay supported by Caedmon's Call, & [http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/artists/glassbyrd.html Glassbyrd] ; Everclear supported by [http://www.myspace.com/feeding5000 Feeding 5000] .
Chair: Leslie Mebane
2003-'04
In 2003, Town Hall's budget was cut substantially due to state-wide budget cuts to public universities. Town Hall adapted by focusing its efforts on small-programming.
Chair: Johnny Haliburton
2004-'05
In 2004, Town Hall continued to focus its efforts on small-programming. The committee produced seventy small-concert and live-entertainment events including Lunchboxes, Coffeehouses, Game Day concerts, Battle of the Bands, Nighttime Weekend Concerts, MUSE lectures and performance events, and Variety Show. Awards included Committee of the Year, Program of the Year, New Programming Iniative of the Year, Chair of the Year, Advisor of the Year, and several Innovative Leadership awards.
Large Concerts: Bill Cosby & Bebo Norman.
Chair: Gabe McNatt
2005-'06
Large Concerts: Bill Engvall, Chris Tomlin, & Yellowcard
Chair: Savannah Helm
2006-'07
In the fall of 2006, Town Hall hosted the Texas A&M for Darfur Concert at Rudder Theater which brought approximately 800 people to learn about the crisis in Darfur, Sudan. Texas A&M for Darfur won several awards including MSC Outstanding Co-program Award, MSC Outstanding Multicultural Program Award, and MSC Outstanding Program of the Year Award.
The Committee also received the Outstanding Marketing Award.
Large Concerts: Wayne Brady, Trae
Chair: Claire Barbier
2007-'08
Large Concerts: Colin Mochrie & Brad Sherwood
Chair: Nick Petree

Famous Town Hall Sayings

Be an star.
We is rule a lot of much.
Less talk, more rock.
The nighttime is the right time.
Music is our nature.
We do concerts.
To Dave Salmon!
One - is never enough.
Who has Darr's tap?
Wafflecat.