HISTORY

The Academical Village People have been roaming around Grounds since 1993. Our organization began with a group of male musicians who enjoyed the thrill of entertainment more than anything else: Adam Nierow, Tom Nassif, Tim Dobiac, Rob Blatt, Kelly Caylor, Nick Comerford, Tim Withers, and Andrew Oh. Naming was the hardest part, because this group of guys didn’t fit any particular mold. Some lame ones like “The Lawn Boyz”' and “Second Nature” were thrown around, but they just didn’t work. One fine day, the guys received an anonymous letter. It stated, “Name your group the ‘Academical Village People,’ because ‘The Lawn Boyz’ is bad.” From that day on, the name stuck. What started out as a group of misfits stayed that way, and we are still thriving 28 years later.

Today, the Academical Village People still uphold the value of “not taking ourselves too seriously.” We make sure that message is communicated when we perform... rumor has it we run into gigs and concerts screaming, and our shirts are magically off by the end of them?  Jury is still out on that one. Through the years, our motto stays the same: it’s just a cappella. That being said, this group creates an undeniable bond and strong foundation. We recently celebrated our 25th Anniversary with a reunion concert, and over 80 alumni came back to the University to enjoy an incredible weekend filled with music and antics.

We’ve had a lot of fun and done some crazy things. The Academical Village People have performed all around Grounds and across the United States. We’ve traveled internationally to England, Scotland, Spain, and China to spread our tomfoolery and love for music. We’ve released 14 studio albums, and are in the process of releasing another one in the upcoming month, thanks to our very own alumnus James Gammon, now a professional a cappella producer! Stay tuned for some bangin’ music - we promise to keep delivering for years to come