The Pikers, WUSTL’s oldest a cappella ensemble group, are staging a concert Nov. 11 to celebrate the 21st anniversary of the group’s founding.
More than 50 Pikers alumni will return to St. Louis from across the country to join the current student Pikers in a showcase of the group’s greatest hits and evolving performance style.
The Pikers’ often bizarre fashion choices will also be on display, including 1985s 6-foot long red scarf and a mid-1990s look that is best described as Miami Vice-esque.
Founded in 1985, The Pikers are the school’s oldest student-run a cappella group. In the 21 years since the Pikers men’s ensemble first introduced a cappella to campus, the performance genre has flourished and today is represented by at least nine different groups and more than100 student performers.
The Pikers take their name from the earliest nickname for the university’s athletic teams, a name whose roots lie in the 1904 World’s Fair. The Pike, which ran along Lindell Boulevard between DeBaliviere and Skinker, was the World’s Fair’s amusement section. After the fair, when the University moved to what is now known as the Danforth Campus, the new campus’ proximity to the Pike led to the tradition of using the nickname “Pikers” to refer to both athletic teams and WUSTL students in general.
In the 1920s, the students voted to change the athletic mascot and nickname to the Bears. While no longer used in connection with the University’s athletic teams, the name Pikers lives on as the name of this undergraduate men’s a cappella ensemble.
“I think the audience will find great amusement in seeing middle-aged doctors and balding lawyer alums performing Pink Floyd and Dave Matthews tunes right next to 19-year-old metabolism freaks. With no instruments, and even less shame,” said Doug Garrett, Pikers alum from the Class of 1997.
The show will begin at 8 p.m. Nov. 11 in Graham Chapel. All tickets are general admission, so organizers encourage attendees to arrive early for good seats. WUSTL student tickets are $2 with a student I.D., and can be purchased during lunch hours at Mallinckrodt and Wohl centers Nov. 6-10. Non-student tickets are $5 and may be reserved by e-mailing tickets@oldpikers.com. Tickets will also be sold at the door.
For more information, call 497-3235 or visit oldpikers.com.