Sound Off: Dillo Day Rocks!

Chris Rooney ’96, ’02 MBA of Oak Park, Ill. 
Poi Dog Pondering, 1993 

I didn’t realize at the time how big a deal they were and how important they were to the Chicago music community. It was a gorgeous sunny day with gentle lakefront breezes, a great day to be introduced to new music. To see many of the members still rocking 30 years later is a real treat and makes the memory even more special.  

Raedell Cannie Boateng ’07 of Seattle 
Gavin DeGraw, 2004 

Gavin DeGraw was super memorable. I hadn’t heard his music — he hadn’t gotten big yet — and I just loved it, especially “I Don’t Want to Be.” I also bumped into him in the crowd, and he was so friendly and funny and signed my poster.   

Asahel Church ’07 of Palmyra, Pa. 
George Clinton and the Parliament-Funkadelic, 2005 

It brought a smile to my face remembering the year that George Clinton and P-Funk headlined. It was a beautiful night on the Lakefill, and the band was on fire. The unforgettable guitarist Garry “Diaper Man” Shider pranced around the stage dressed in a singular white cloth. Long past quitting time, they were still bringing the funk. Getting desperate, the stage crew turned off the stage lights. Of course, the crowd went wild, and the band continued for another 10 minutes at least! 

Amanda Fasoli Archer ’06 of Norwich, Vt. 
Ben Folds, 2006   

Amazing performer. Amazing day. I capped if off dancing with a new friend, Tyler Lorenzi ’10. I was a senior, he was a freshman, and we probably would have never hung out if we hadn’t been “Rockin’ the Suburbs” together that day. We kept in touch over the years. … He was one of those positive people who made you feel hopeful about the world. I learned that he died a few years later in a tragic sailing accident. I’ll always remember him, his joy of life and the dance we shared that Dillo Day. 

Lauren Pond ’09 of Columbus, Ohio
Common, 2008

One of the most memorable Dillo Days I attended took place after a storm, when the Lakefill was extraordinarily muddy. My friends and I had a grand time listening to Common and dancing in the mud. We were filthy afterward, but it was so worth it. 

Chris Danzig ’08 of Oakland, Calif. 
The Decemberists, 2009 

My favorite Dillo Day shows were the ones I covered as a photographer. I still have the photos I took of N.E.R.D. — featuring Pharrell Williams before he became a superstar — and the Decemberists, one of my favorite bands since I discovered them freshman year in the dorms. It’s pretty cool that we got to see these bands before they became massively successful. 

Kim O’Brien Carmel ’00 of Seattle 

I wish I had clearer memories of Dillo Day, but I’m afraid I don’t. I knew enough to realize that the bands they booked were cool, and that I was not cool enough to know or appreciate them. Ha! But I remember Dillo Day as a much-needed break from responsibility to enjoy sunshine, fresh air and excellent times with friends. Probably one of the few days, apart from football games, when the whole school seemed to come together. Pretty sure I got sunburned every year, but it was worth it. 

Share your Dillo Day memories in the comments below.