Fans started lining up at 4:30 a.m., some even bringing blankets and bags with their outfits in them to change into when it was time for the doors to open at noon. However, the line (which started at the Lombardi doors in the McShane Campus Center) didn’t reach the Marketplace until around 10 a.m.
Anyone who was walking by the line could see several makeshift posters, most of which expressed sentiments of wanting to be ROLE MODEL’s Fordham “Sally,” a concert tradition the singer has held for performances on his “Kansas Anymore” tour where he invites an audience member up to dance with him on stage during the bridge to his iconic song “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out.” There was a pink American flag with Pillsbury’s face on it in the crowd as well.
Appearing before ROLE MODEL were several openers, the first of which was a DJ, Lucas Randell, GSB ’27, who goes by the name of XLR. He mixed several popular songs, such as “Still Into You” by Paramore and “Clarity” by Zedd. XLR brought several friends onstage with him to hype up the crowd and was instrumental in keeping the crowd entertained.
Following XLR was a band called The Wave, consisting of two current Fordham University students, vocalist Christina Priestner, FCRH ’26, and drummer Matthew Termine, FCRH ’26, as well as two alumni, guitarist Robbie Schier, GSB ’23, and bassist Steven Morris, FCRH ’23. The band played several covers, such as “Zombie” by The Cranberries and “Pink Pony Club” by Chappell Roan. However, the group shined the most as they played their original songs, specifically their radio hit “Passenger” and a recent single, “I’ll Be Missing You,” both of which featured Priestner’s jaw-dropping vocals.
The immense talent didn’t stop at the forefront of the group; Termine showed off with his perfectly timed beats, Morris absolutely devoured his low-toned riffs and Schier even played his guitar behind his head! What’s even more impressive is that the group hardly practiced together before getting onstage, as shared by Priestner. “Since only Matt and I are current Fordham students, it could be difficult finding time and space to rehearse so we actually … didn’t. We did not rehearse at all in the week before the concert … so we were really just vibing with each other onstage,” she said.
All of the members seemed ecstatic to be opening for ROLE MODEL at Fordham, as Schier shared, “It was great opening for ROLE MODEL! Always fun to play at Fordham for Spring Weekend!” Priestner noted that she had been a long-time fan of Pillsbury, so the experience was particularly special for her. “The shirt I was wearing actually had his face on it, and I owned it BEFORE I knew he was headlining, so to say I’m a fan would be an understatement. It really is such an honor and a wonderful opportunity for our small band to be seen,” she said. One thing is for certain; the band may be a small hit now, but expect to see worldwide greatness from The Wave in the future.
Performing immediately before ROLE MODEL was another band local to New York. LAUNDRY DAY, who met in high school in Hell’s Kitchen, consists of four members: vocalist Jude Ciulla-Lipkin, vocalist and drummer Sawyer Nunes, guitarist Henry Weingartner and bassist Henry Pearl. The band started out with a recent single from 2024, “Damn Shame,” before diving into their older and more popular music. For the performance of “Harvard,” a track off their third album, the group changed the titular lyric to “Fordham on my chest,” where Ciulla-Lipkin referenced an anonymous Fordham jersey he had put on for that song.
The band slowed it down and brought out Nunes from behind the drums for “Jane,” where his incredible vocals could be the main focus. The group did end up playing their most famous song, “Friends,” closer to the end of their performance, where during the chorus, Ciulla-Lipkin got the entire audience to wave their hands in the air. A video of this can be found on their Instagram account, @daundrylay. The band ended the performance with their rendition of the national anthem by playing “Party in the U.S.A.” by Miley Cyrus.
And then, at around 3:50 p.m., ROLE MODEL finally took the stage. He walked wordlessly on, and immediately jumped into the first song off his sophomore album, “Writing’s On The Wall.” Pillsbury continued down the setlist in order of how each song is on the album, getting people teary-eyed at “Frances,” dancing with “Superglue” and only skipping tracks such as “The Dinner” and “Compromise.” ROLE MODEL added in a cover of “Somebody Else” by The 1975, as well as a throwback to his first viral hit from 2020, “blind.” Pillsbury switched the order of a few songs at the end to finish with his two most popular off the album, “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out” and “Deeply Still In Love.”
And the reveal of the Fordham Sally came just as it would in any other of his concerts. The special guest ended up being Julian Ogawa, FCRH ’25, digital technology and emerging media (DTEM) student who bravely shared the stage with a huge singer and “got sturdy” in front of his peers.
The post-concert blues were apparent as Fordham students slowly emerged into the afternoon light, with many wondering how CAB would ever top this event. One thing can be sure though; through the location change and an opener cancelling at the last minute, CAB pulled through for Fordham students and was the real star of the show.
