55°
This is how he tells the story: When he was a senior at Fairfield University, a woman walked up to him at a party. “You're that guitar player kid,” Donnelly remembers her saying. “I think you’ll sound really good with a friend of mine.”
That friend was fellow classmate — and then freshman —Tim Warren.
This Saturday, Warren and Donnelly’s band, The Alternate Routes, will be playing a free outdoor concert at 6:30 p.m. on the lawn in front of the DiMenna-Nyselius Library on the Fairfield University campus.
They plan to play a mix of old and new songs, including “Nothing More” — perhaps their most well-known song. That piece, which was featured in the 2014 Winter Olympics, was inspired by the tragic events in Newtown.
The band also plans to play a new song, “Living The Dream,” as well as “Love Me For Nothing,” an older song.
“We’re pulling more from our entire catalog than we ever have [before],” Donnelly said.
According to Donnelly, the band’s name was inspired by Warren’s visit to Martha’s Vineyard. He encountered a road block. Then he saw a sign that said the road was closed, which confused him.
“Detour signs usually have a direction,” Donnelly said, but that one didn’t.
It simply advised drivers to seek alternate routes, Donnelly said, an approach that he applies to life.
“A lot of times you have to figure out your own ways to go,” he said. “The path you think you're going to take is very rarely the one that works out.”
But while Donnelly and Warren have found their own way as professional musicians, they haven’t forgotten their roots.
“The university has been a big part of our story,” Donnelly said.
In fact, Kurt Leon, the band’s drummer and a Fairfield grad, currently works for the university.
The band has performed at campus and university events, playing at a fundraiser and freshmen orientation among many gatherings over the years.
Fairfield University encourages concertgoers to explore campus before the concert, and Donnelly knows just the spot that they should visit.
“Top of Bellarmine, where you can see the ocean,” Donnelly said, referring to one of the highest points on campus. “It was always a zenful, peaceful place for me.”
Click here to follow Daily Voice Fairfield and receive free news updates.
