A Letter From Larry Burns

Tonight, let’s go “Dancing in the Street” to Martha Reeves and sing along with We the Kings’ “We’ll be a dream.”

Tonight, let’s cheer on local student rock band MAS FiNA and gear up for a winning Rocket football season.

Tonight, let’s celebrate Music Fest 2010.

Join me for this free event tonight, Thursday, Sept. 2, outside the Memorial Field House to kick off the 2010-11 school year.

I hope to see many of our students and University community demonstrating our Rocket pride right along with community members coming to campus for this great event.

Music Fest 2010 will kick off at 3 p.m. with MAS FiNA and there will be nonstop entertainment until the fireworks finale at 10 p.m. UT’s student radio station WXUT will entertain between sets.

Universal Xpression, a reggae band, will perform at 4:30 p.m. followed by a pep rally with the UT football team at 5:30 p.m. It’s the perfect opportunity to cheer on our Rockets the day before they take on the Arizona Wildcats in Friday’s home opener that will be seen across the country on ESPN.

Music Fest continues with a 6 p.m. performance by jazz group Alexander Zonjic with Thornetta Davis and the Motor City Horns.

Motown legend Martha Reeves and the Vandellas take the stage at 7:30 p.m. and the headliner pop rock band We the Kings will perform at 9 p.m.

There also will be food vendors selling gyros, pizza, burgers, hot dogs, pitas and hummus, funnel cakes and elephant ears.

Tonight, let’s celebrate Music Fest 2010. And tomorrow, I’ll see you at the game.

— Larry Burns is the Vice President for External Affairs and Interim Vice President for Equity and Diversity at UT.