What do you get when you mix a well groomed mustache, a 4-foot-wide Afro, local band Kinetix and a worthwhile philanthropy? Lambda Chi Alpha’s Mustache Bash, of course.
The third annual charity concert took place at the Gothic Theatre last Thursday.
The Gothic provided Lambda with 999 tickets, its full capacity. Every single ticket was sold out a day and a half before the concert. Members of the fraternity received hundreds of calls, text messages, and e-mails from desperate wannabe concertgoers. The overwhelming response from DU students shows how successful of an event Mustache Bash 2007 really was.
While many may think of Mustache Bash as a bar party, the real reason behind the charity concert is much more important. All of the proceeds go to the National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD).
The NSCD was founded in 1970 and aids children and adults with any physical or mental challenge “take to the ski slopes, rivers, mountain trails and athletic fields to learn more about sports and themselves” according to NSCD.
The money donated by Lambda to this cause benefits the disabled directly, by helping pay for equipment, staff training and lessons. According to NSCD, over 17,000 lessons were provided in 2005 alone, demonstrating the importance of the organization.
Lambda begins to prepare for Mustache Bash in the fall, about six months ahead of time. Each year since it’s inception in 2005, the event becomes a greater presence on the DU campus.
“This year the planning process involved a lot more people in Lambda,” said risk manager Adam Dulberg. “We’re developing more and more each year. It’s an event that’s growing in the right direction.”
The idea for Mustache Bash grew from a conversation between four Lambdas, one of whom decided to take action and bring the event to DU. It was clear from year one that Mustache Bash was definitely a tradition to continue.
This is because it attracted so many DU students, and, according to Dulberg, “It seems the school is missing something. There are very few promotable social events after 6 p.m. Mustache Bash offers the school something else and offers the fraternity something else. As long as we’re raising money, I only see it growing.”
Speaking of growing, perhaps the most notable tradition going hand in hand with Mustache Bash is the Lambdas increasing amount of facial hair. Each year, a month before the event, starting February 1, the men of Lambda stop shaving. Then, in preparation for the concert, they all take to the mirror and groom their mustaches to perfection, trying to figure out just how ridiculous they can get it to look.
In addition to the abundance of ’70s style mustaches donned by the Lambdas, there are many other sights to see at Mustache Bash. Most students chose to dress within the decade. Many went above and beyond large sunglasses and sideburns, whether it be a full body jump suit, a Willy Wonka getup, complete with purple velvet top hat or a gigantic Afro from the disco era.
“The costumes were definitely the best this year. People are getting more into it every year,” said senior Carolyn Wolfe.
Not only was Mustache Bash visually pleasing, Kinetix brought the function full circle. In previous years, Kinetix played the first half of the show and Boogie Machine did the second. However, this year Kinetix took the initiative and played both halves.
“Kinetix is good friends with a lot of the older guys in Lambda. They’re just as much a part of this as we are,” Dulberg explained.
Mustache Bash 2007 was overwhelmingly successful and all can agree with Dulberg when he says, “I only see it getting greater, and more people getting involved.”
