Hofstra music festival spans the decades

The first act at Hofstra University's "Live at 75" Festival to pull out the old hip-hop cheer "Throw your hands in the air and wave 'em like you just don't care" Saturday was Sha Na Na.

The first body surfing came during the set of hip-hop legends Public Enemy. And fans of R&B sensation Trey Songz started lining up near the stage nearly six hours before he was to start, dancing to '50s classics "Hound Dog" and "Teenager in Love."

There was also Hofstra forensic linguistics and Swahili professor Robert Leonard leading Sha Na Na in versions of the teenage tragedy songs "Teen Angel" and "Tell Laura I Love Her," rejoining for the first time in 38 years the group he cofounded.

Yes, it was an eclectic day of decades-spanning music, moving from the Hand Jive to the Dougie in a matter of hours. "We're going from the hop to hip-hop today," said Sha Na Na's Screamin' Scott Simon.

Exactly as planned, said Melissa Connolly, Hofstra's vice president of university relations, who was also chairwoman of the event. "We knew we wanted to unite homecoming, parents' day and the 75th anniversary," said Connolly, who said the event took more than two years to plan.

The "Live at 75" Festival, which also featured Long Island heroes Blue Oyster Cult as well as rockers Fountains of Wayne, and the freestyle dance diva Lisa Lisa, was designed to reflect the university, Connolly said.

"Hofstra brings together brilliant, creative, inventive people," she said. "It's not a one-hat-fits-all university."

Leonard demonstrated that, scrambling expectations as he removed his blue blazer and red tie to perform with his rocking friends in Sha Na Na, only to have his brother, George, who did the choreography for the band before its Woodstock performance, replace it on him like a James Brown cape.

"It was so great to be able to do those harmonies again," said Leonard, adding that it was the university's idea to reunite his group for the festival. "We fell back into it so easily."

For Public Enemy, the decision to play the festival also came easily. "Hofstra means a whole lot to our hearts," said the group's Chuck D., adding that the band was celebrating an anniversary of its own - the 20th for its landmark album "Fear of a Black Planet." "Some of us even took classes here."