The 32nd annual Pops on the Heights brought students, family, friends, and alumni together in Conte Forum for a celebration of performing arts. The jaw-dropping and stunning performances from Boston College’s very own student groups provided strong openers for the Boston Pops and the headlining Goo Goo Dolls.
Also known as the Barbara and Jim Cleary Scholarship Gala, Pops on the Heights raises money for BC’s students to provide greater financial aid.
The event raised $12.8 million according to a video message from this year’s Pops on the Heights co-chairs, Paul and Sandra Edgerley, and Patti and Jonathan Kraft. The funds raised will go to the “Soaring Higher” campaign.
At Pops, the Krafts announced their campaign has reached the halfway point to their goal, having raised $1.5 billion so far. Since its founding, “Soaring Higher” aims to grant a formative experience to all students and plans a legacy of accessibility to a college education for all students called to BC’s mission of “men and women for others.”
Starting off the night, the Screaming Eagles were joined by the BC University Chorale to play “Burning Love” by Elvis Presley. The entire audience was on its feet, dancing to the music and showing off its school spirit.
Following the marching band were BC’s a cappella groups, including the Bostonians, the Sharps, the Heightsmen, the BC Acoustics and the BC Dynamics. The groups all sang popular songs such as “It’s Raining Men” by The Weather Girls and “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” by the Eurythmics.
The Boston Pops Orchestra, led by conductor Keith Lockhart, then took to the stage alongside solo performer Sofia Burke, MCAS ’25, as she performed “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” She was rewarded with a standing ovation at the performance’s finish.
After a short intermission, the Boston Pops Orchestra returned to perform a ’90s mashup of well-known hits that even the Class of 2028 would know. The medley started off with Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Friend,” followed by the iconic Friends theme song “I’ll Be There for You,” which got the entire crowd involved as people clapped along to more ’90s hits.
The Boston Pops finished their set with Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On.” Then, the entire audience rippled with cheers as Goo Goo Dolls took to the stage. Goo Goo Dolls were formed in 1985 and have since become timeless musicians that continue to reach audiences in new generations.
The main singer of Goo Goo Dolls, John Rzeznik, recognized University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., and the Kraft and Edgerley families for their dedication to BC and for allowing him to perform for their cause.
Rzeznik described BC as a place of fond memories from his youth and shouted out the ’90s graduates in the arena as he readied for his first song “Slide.”
“Our friend invited us to play at a party,” Rzeznik said. “He was a football player so we couldn’t exactly say no … That night was a time.”
Goo Goo Dolls continued with performances alongside the Boston Pops, performing hits like “Black Balloon,” “Sympathy,” and “Let Love In.” The band then got ready for its last and most popular song, “Iris.” The first three chords of the song made the entire crowd go wild, and the audience stood for the entirety of the song.
“And I don’t want the world to see me / ’Cause I don’t think that they’d understand,” Rzeznik sang alongside the audience. “When everything’s made to be broken / I just want you to know who I am.”
The Boston Pops made their final song “For Boston” as Baldwin the Eagle hyped up the crowd one last time. Yellow and burgundy balloons fell from the ceiling to wrap up a magical night.
Correction (9/30/24, 11:21 a.m.): This article was updated to clarify that Goo Goo Dolls were formed in 1985.
