Rice University will welcome bôa as the headline music act at the third annual Moody X-Fest April 25 at Founder’s Court. The signature, rain-or-shine event celebrates the Moody Experience and will include free food, swag and games.
In 1998, British alt-rock band bôa dropped its breakout single “Duvet,” a sweeping anthem that went on to lead the soundtrack for the Japanese cult-classic anime “Serial Experiments Lain.” Nearly two decades later, “Duvet” reemerged anew on TikTok, igniting a feverish renewed interest in the band.
Today “Duvet” boasts over 450 million streams on Spotify alone, and the renaissance inspired bôa to return to the studio to record its first new music in more than 20 years.
Now with new music and a growing fanbase, the band’s universal sentiments — pain, solitude and triumph — immediately transcend any generational divide. Twenty-five years later, bôa feels impossibly new again and is compelling proof that time is indeed a circle.
“Students will be excited to see that bôa will perform at this year’s Moody X-Fest, and I’m grateful for those who work hard to make this annual event possible,” said Amy Dittmar, the Howard R. Hughes Provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “Thanks to the Moody Foundation’s generosity, the Moody X-Fest is a signature event our students look forward to each year.”
Student music, dance, cultural and performance groups are invited to apply to be an opening act by 11:59 p.m. March 9. Groups must be a registered student organization in good standing in order to apply.
In addition, students are invited to submit this year’s Moody X-Fest T-shirt design by 11:59 p.m. March 24. The winning design will receive a $250 reward and be recognized during X-Fest.
Moody X-Fest was created in celebration of the Moody Foundation’s historic $100 million gift to the university. In 2021, the Moody Foundation made an extraordinary commitment to Rice to build a student center and to create 12 endowments under the Moody Experience umbrella. It was the largest single gift in the university’s history.
The Moody Experience already supports hundreds of Rice students as they pursue “beyond the classroom” experiences such as international travel, summer research, paid internships, service learning and more. Visit moodyexperience.rice.edu to learn more about the various programs and student experiences supported by the Moody Experience.
Since 1964, the Moody Foundation has contributed over $125 million to Rice.
To find out more about Moody X-Fest, visit moodyexperience.rice.edu/x-fest.