Star Course is the University of Illinois’s oldest student-run organization dating back to 1892. Designed to contract, promote, and stage campus entertainment, Star Course brought its first orchestra to the University in 1912. Throughout the past century the organization has broadened its scope to alternative, rock, comedy, R&B, hip-hop, jazz, and soul acts. Today Star Course focuses on providing a diverse selection of popular entertainment to the University and the C-U community. In 2022 Star Course celebrated 130 years of entertainment at UIUC.
If you were involved in Star Course back in the day and want to share your experiences, have any memorabilia, or know any bands we've forgotten, please contact us at starcoursemusic@gmail.com. We'd love to hear your story!
1919
Gilmore Military Band
Russian Symphony Orchestra
1932
Sergei Rachmaninoff
1948
Duke Ellington
1949
Arthur Rubinstein
1956
Louis Armstrong
1957
Robert Shaw
Pete Seeger
Louis Armstrong
1958-1961
Louis Armstrong
Andres Segovia
Julian Bream
Robert Shaw Chorale
Leonard Warren
Joseph Szigeti
Eugene Ormandy
Leon Fleischer
Glenn Gould
Stan Kenton, June Christy and The Four Freshmen
1962
Joan Baez
1963
Smothers Brothers
Nat King Cole
1964
Don Giovanni
Harry Bellafonte
1967-68
Lovin’ Spoonful
The Beach Boys
1968-69
Harry Bellafonte
Jefferson Airplane
1969-70
Rolling Stones w/ B.B. King
1970-71
Four Tops
The Byrds w/ Head East
James Taylor
Sly and the Family Stone
Ten Years After
Jethro Tull
1972-73
Elton John
Moody Blues
Jefferson Airplane
Cat Stevens
1973-74
The Beach Boys
Grateful Dead
Loggins and Messina
James Taylor
Joni Mitchell
J. Geils
1974-75
Gregg Allman
Fleetwood Mac
Billy Joel
1975-76
Crosby and Nash
Styx
Little Feat
Jethro Tull
1976-77
Jimmy Buffet
1977-78
Utopia
Frank Zappa
Herbie Hancock
The Spinners
1978-79
Little Feat
Bruce Springsteen
Santana
U.K. w/ Carillo
UFO
1979-80
Yes
Arlo Guthrie
Talking Heads
1980-81
Pretenders
Jethro Tull
1981-82
The Ramones
Dizzy Gillespie Quartet
Pat Metheny Group
The Police
Charlie Daniels
U2
Earth, Wind, and Fire
Holly Near
Jaco Pastorius
1982-83
Rush
REO Speewagon
The Dazz Band
Tom Petty
Spyro Gyra
R.E.M.
Tom Petty
The Bangles
Nick Lowe
Paul Carrack
The English Beat
Chick Corea & Touchstone
Our Daughters Wedding
Rory Gallageher
The Psychedelic Furs
1983-84
Todd Rundgren
Pat Metheny Group
Jackson Browne
Elvis Costello
T-bone Burnett
Chris Stamey
Wire Train
Big Country
1985-86
Todd Rundgren
Windham Hill
R.E.M.
ZZ Top (w/ Assembly Hall)
Golden Palominos
Kenny Rogers (w/ Assembly Hall)
Pat Metheny
1986-87
Shadowfax
Psychedelic Furs
Midnight Star
Peter Gabriel (w/ Assembly Hall)
Husker Du
Bob Goldthwait
B.B. King
Los Lobos
Stevie Ray Vaughan
1987-88
Al Dimeola Project
Michael Brecker
R.E.M.
Michael Hedges & Leo Kottke
Echo & the Bunnymen
Robin Hitchcock & the Egyptians
U.T.F.O.
Midnight Oil
1988-89
Violent Femmes
Dizzie Gillespie
B.B. King
Def Leppard
Stanley Jordan
The Smithereens
The Church
Yellowman
1989-90
The Pixies
The Bodeans
R.E.M. (w/ Assembly Hall)
B-52’s
Michael Hedges
Laurie Anderson
Branford Marsalis
De La Soul
1990-91
Sun Ra
Mutabaruka (w/ Illini Union Board)
M.C. Hammer (w/ Assembly Hall)
The Replacements
INXS (w/ Assembly Hall)
1992-93
Sonic Youth
Matthew Sweet
The Lemonheads
1993-94
Paul Westerberg
The Bodeans
The Samples
Gin Blossoms
Sheryl Crow
1994-95
Tori Amos
Weezer
Live
Harry Connick, Jr.
Toad the Wet Sprocket
Spin Doctors
Digable Planets
Rustet Rood
Spearhead
Oleanna (a David Mamet play)
1995-96
Elastica
Natalie Merchant
Matthew Sweet
Jewel
Belly
Catherine Wheel
The Pharcyde
The Bodeans
Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds
1996-97
Violent Femmes
George Clinton
Better Than Ezra
1998-98
Ziggy Marley
They Might Be Giants
Third Eye Blind & Eve 6
Rusted Root
Orgy
The Smithereens
1999-2000
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Ben Harper
Tiffany
2000-2001
Violent Femmes
SR-71 w/ Harvey Danger & Wheatus
Guster
Project Logic & Soulive
2001-2002
Black Eyed Peas
Ben Folds & Clem Snide
G. Love & Special Sauce
Art Alexakis
John Mayer
2002-2003
Wilco w/ Grand Ulena
Nappy Roots
The Vines
Rusted Root
2003-2004
Pete Yorn
Guster
Liz Phair
Mest w/ Fallout Boy, Matchbook Romance, Dynamite Boy
Ben Folds
2004-2005
Indigo Girls
Lil’ Wayne
Howie Day
Wilco
Motion City Soundtrack
Ben Kweller
2005-2006
Death Cab for Cutie
Spoon
Ludo w/ Treaty of Paris, Blame Twilight, Translation
moe.
Nickel Creek
Switchfoot
Relient K
2006-2007
Jack’s Mannequin
Chris Tomlin
Jeff Tweedy
My Morning Jacket
Guster
The Decemberists
OK Go
2007-2008
Ryan Adams
Bright Eyes
Lupe Fiasco
The Used
Rockstar
Ben Folds
2008-2009
Broken Social Scene
Jeff Tweedy
Sara Bareilles
2009-2010
Matisyahu
The Academy Is…
Andrew Bird
2010-2011
Bright Eyes
Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
2011-2012
Janelle Monáe and fun.
Maps and Atlases
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
2012-2013
Wavves
Empires
Easter (Spring Jam)
2013-2014
Casey James
Baauer
Grouplove
Phantogram
Magic Man
Twin Peaks (Spring Jam)
2014-2015
Sky Ferreira
Mac DeMarco
Hoodie Allen
Bo Burnham
iLoveMakonnen
Timeflies and B.o.B. (Spring Jam)
2015-2016
Nate Ruess
Rae Sremmurd
Ryn Weaver
Father John Misty
Travis Porter and Hoodie Allen (Spring Jam)
2016-2017
Neon Indian
American Football
Vince Staples
Noname
Post Malone (Spring Jam)
2017-2018
Joywave
Waka Flocka Flame
STRFKR
T-Pain (Spring Jam)
2018-2019
Jesse McCartney
lovelytheband
Smino
Lil Yachty (Spring Jam)
2019-2020
Doja Cat
Peach Pit
Earthgang
