It's Pop vs Jock

Pop vs Jock Charity Basketball Game

On the McGill campus, the division between the jocks and the artsy musicians is usually obvious. The jocks are quite easy to spot.  Decked out in their red and white sweaters or tracksuits, they’re often carrying a gym bag, lacrosse stick or football and sometimes all three. They usually walk with their chests stuck out hoping that other students passing them on the street will take the time to read the words on their team jacket and admire the fact that they belong to a varsity squad. Jocks generally want to stand out, to be seen and to be recognized by the rest of the university community.

Music students and musicians, on the other hand, are harder to find - unless they are trying to squeeze onto a crowded bus with a giant tuba case. In general, they are much more mysterious than the jocks and may often spend hours locked away in a dark room practicing their art. They are less obnoxious, less likely to brag and much less known in comparison to varsity athletes.

                During a typical day at McGill, the worlds of the jock and the musician rarely collide. These two groups go their separate ways, working hard to reach their potential. But what happens when one world encroaches on the other? When a group of musicians decide to  beat athletes at their own game?

This is exactly what will happen right here at the McGill gym on September 24^th at the “Pop vs. Jock” charity basketball game. Win Butler of the Grammy-award winning band Arcade Fire has organized a team of musicians which includes his brother Will and Chris Tomson of Vampire Weekend. The jock team will feature NBA veteran Matt Bonner and is made up primarily of star players and coaches from the McGill and Concordia varsity squads.

                Both teams met in Love Competition Hall last Wednesday to warm up and play an exhibition match before the big day. It was very cool to see members of Arcade Fire decked out in gym clothes, shooting around like any other McGill student would do on a break between classes. The jock side of the court was also looking pretty sharp, with members of both McGill women’s and men’s teams practicing their 3-point shots. The basketball players seemed a bit star struck by the presence of Arcade Fire on their home court, since the last time many of the athletes had seen the band was when they played at Osheaga in 2010 in front of almost 30000 people.

                Besides the basketball game, this event promises to provide musical entertainment as well. Arcade Fire’s Régine Chassagne will play the organ at the game, and band member Richard Reed Parry will play a bicycle symphony during the halftime show, which will also feature Kid Koala. Proceeds from this charity event go to the DJ Sports Club, a non-profit organization that offers sports programs in the city to kids ages 7 to 17.

                Whether you are a band geek or a gym rat, a varsity athlete or a music major this event has something for you. As a Physical Education Major, a music enthusiast, a competitive runner and a pianist, I know I’m looking forward to seeing how these two worlds collide.

                And if it goes well, who knows? Maybe next up is a Battle of the Bands, Arcade Fire vs. anyone in the NBA who knows how to hold an instrument. Now that would be crazy.