Neon Trees, Cochise to perform at Green Key

BY THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF

This article was originally published on May 3, 2023.

Neon Trees and Cochise will perform as guest artists at the 2023 Green Key concert on May 19, the Programming Board announced today via Instagram.

The concert is scheduled to take place on Gold Coast Lawn at 7:00 p.m.

Cochise is slated to perform after both student band, Frank, which won the annual Battle of the Bands competition on April 28, and the winner of the Duel of the DJs contest, who has not yet been selected.

Neon Trees will be the closing performance of the concert.

“We are excited to be able to provide both student band and student DJ representation this year,” the Programming Board wrote.

Green Key survey results — which asked students about their musical preferences for the concert — indicated that the guest artists refected respondents’ top performer and top two genre choices. More than 86% of respondents said they had “expressed interest” in one of the guest artists, while 64% of respondents stated that they would be “very interested,” according to the Programming Board.

Cochise, a Jamaican-American, Floridabased rapper, frst gained popularity in 2019 after the release of hit singles “Hatchback” and “Redhead.” His platinum-certifed single “Tell ‘Em,” released in 2021, reached number 64 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2022, Cochise was named as a member of XXL Magazine’s 2022 Freshman Class and released his second studio album, “The Inspection.” the gift’s “special instructions” — requiring the gift to be used on the golf course itself — are “crystal clear.”

Indie-pop band Neon Trees originally rose to prominence in 2008 as an opener for The Killers. The band has subsequently gone onto release such alternative, charttopping hits as 5x platinum “Everybody Talks,” as well as “Animal” and “Sleeping with a Friend.” Neon Trees released their fourth studio album, “I Can Feel You Forgetting Me,” in 2020.

“The Attorney General’s division of charitable trust is supposed to protect the intentions of Robert Keeler and ensure Dartmouth College follows the rules, and not just let them do what they want,” Laboe said. “But the division did just let them do what they want.”

Dartmouth hired outside counsel Ralph Holmes to represent the Board of Trustees in the case, according to court records. On March 30, Holmes argued before the New Hampshire Supreme Court that the Keeler estate and foundation have no standing to appeal the February decision, explaining the gift will serve future generations of the Dartmouth golf community, the Valley News reported. Holmes declined to comment, as the case is ongoing.

Lawrence, however, said the College sought approval from the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office and the courts to use Keeler’s donation “for a purpose that is as near as possible to the donor’s intent.”

Lawrence added that the College will use the $3.8 million fund “for specific, golf-related purposes,” including the study and design of golf areas, as well as practice holes for the College’s physical education programs, recreational golf programs and varsity golf programs.

Women’s varsity golf head coach Alex Kirk, who ran the Hanover Country Club for 15 years, said the funds could also improve facilities for the College’s varsity teams. Kirk explained that the men’s and women’s team currently play golf “on the road,” practicing in the fall at Montcalm Golf Club in Enfield, New Hampshire — a 20-minute drive from campus. In spring, summer and winter, the teams practice at the Leverone Field House and a driving range near the Rugby House.

The College has not disclosed any official plans for the land that was formerly the golf course, stating in a 2020 FAQ that “the property remains important to Dartmouth’s future.”

Men’s varsity golf co-captain Charles Petrie ’22 said he did not understand why the Hanover Country Club closed at all.

“My impression was that the course could not be losing enough money to justify being cut, especially at a place like Dartmouth with the financial capacity to keep it going,” Petrie said. “It was more than just a golf course. It was something that brought that community together.”