As many professors welcome new students to campus, some will be doing so with a few classic rock favorites. PhD’Licious, a band comprised of University of Alabama professors, will be playing at Rollin’ on the River, an event to welcome new Honors College students.
PhD’Licious is a classic rock cover band comprised solely of UA professors and alumni. The band’s three original members include Alan Lane of the department of chemical and biological engineering, Norm Baldwin of the department of political science, and Kevin Whitaker, associate dean of the College of Engineering. The band was born out of the members’ desire to return to music after years of focusing on academia.
“We were talking about our younger rock ‘n’ roll days. We all went off to grad school. Got some Ph.D.s and jobs that pay. Now we’re turning gray, and we miss that music. So we put a band together, and we hit the street,” Lane said.
The band’s name, inspired by Fergie’s “Fergalicious,” was chosen by Lane’s wife out of necessity when the band needed a name for the sign-up sheet at its first open mic. The men of PhD’Licious said they have even more to owe to their wives, as the band was formed at a College of Engineering faculty and staff Christmas party Baldwin attended for his wife.
“After the party, Alan decided to invite Kevin and me over to his house to jam a little bit, just to see how it went and sounded,” Baldwin said. “And boom, a four-piece band was started that grew over the years to a seven-piece horns band.”
Since its formation in 2008, PhD’Licious has performed at multiple venues in and around Tuscaloosa, including Egan’s, Innisfree Irish Pub, Bama Theatre, Speakeasy, Jupiter and the Red Shed. Lane, Baldwin and Whitaker are also no strangers to performing for their students. They have performed at many UA events, including a UA Student Affairs picnic at Manderson Landing and Earth Day on the Quad.
However, to PhD’Licious, it is not so much the “who,” but the “where” that is important for its performance.
“Our enjoyment is more closely linked to who we perform for. We feed off the energy of the crowd,” Lane said. “We are at our best when the crowd is dancing and having a great party. Student organizations like this are often the best. But we played for an 80th birthday party once, and they could really party too.”
The group performs covers of Motown classics, R&B, rock ‘n’ roll, blues, soul and funk from the last 50 years. For the professors of PhD’Licious, who have each been teaching for more than 25 years, music is just as much a passion as teaching.
“Playing in a band is an emotional explosion. It allows me to sing at the top of my lungs, scream, dance like a fool, dress in outrageous ways and sing about love with passion and conviction,” Baldwin said.
Outside of the passion he has for performing, Baldwin also said the band’s audience is a reason they continue performing.
“I also love to entertain a crowd – to provide a crowd a venue for emotional expression through music, as well as simply a fun experience,” Baldwin said.
With more than 100 years of combined onstage experience, coupled with the band’s self-professed youthful energy drawn from working with students all day, the PhD’Licious professors said they are determined to continue to deliver a good time.
“Our music is so delicious that you can’t stop dancing from the very first song,” Lane said. “When the audience is totally worn out, we have done our job.”
Rollin’ on the River will be held Thursday, Aug. 22 at the Tuscaloosa River Market at 8 p.m.
