Alternative rock band Guster will open for Akon at this year's Spring Fling concert on April 17 in Franklin Field, the Social Planning and Events Committee announced today.
"They have a similar vibe even though they're very different genres in music," said SPEC Concerts co-director and College junior Preston Hershorn, who anticipates that the line-up will bring a diverse crowd.
Formed in 1991 while its three initial members, Adam Gardner, Ryan Miller and Brian Rosenworcel, were students at Tufts University, Guster has attracted a loyal following through frequent tours across college campuses. The band is known for its live performances, which it does up to 250 times per year.
The band, noted for its melodies and distinct use of hand-drumming, remained underground for its first two albums, Parachute and Goldfly, but broke mainstream with its 1999 hit Fa Fa on the album Lost and Gone Forever. The group's other singles include Amsterdam and Satellite, and its sixth studio album is scheduled for release later this spring.
"Guster has always come up on all of our surveys as one of the most requested bands by students," Hershorn said.
The group's stop at Penn is part of a larger nationwide "Campus Consciousness Tour," a nonprofit project began by Gardner. Penn will be the only school where the band will not headline the concert, according to Hershorn.
In the Quadrangle on the Friday of Fling, the tour's Eco-Village will present information on environmental awareness from organizations like Planet Aid and the Penn Environmental Group, which will also partner with Guster to raffle off signed guitars and meet-and-greet passes.
Tickets for the concert will be $30 in advance with a PennCard, $35 in advance for the general public and $40 for all on the day of the show. They will go on sale March 30 at 10 a.m. on Locust Walk, where they will be sold until the day of the show, when they will be available in the Quadrangle and Franklin Field. Tickets can also be purchased online at upenn.tickets.musictoday.com with a service charge.
Beginning this year, students can also pay with Penn Cash in addition to cash at the Locust Walk Table.
All tickets will be general admission, but as in years past, SPEC will distribute some wristbands granting access to the field area in front of the stage. A limited amount will be sold first-come, first-serve for an extra $10 at the Locust Walk table.
Wristbands will also be distributed for free through an online lottery at specevents.net that runs through Friday, as well as through promotions in the upcoming weeks, including during Relay for Life on Friday.
A group of 250 FlingSafe volunteers who promote safe behavior during Spring Fling will also receive free tickets to the concert. FlingSafe applications can be found on SPEC's Web site through March 30.
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