Committee secures TI for Sting Break
The Student Center Programs Council recently released the performance line up for this year's Sting Break. This years headlining performer will be Charles Joseph Harris Jr., more commonly known as the two-time Grammy winner and Atlanta native TI whose album "King" was released to huge success last year.
The big show is April 20 at 8 p.m. in Yellow Jacket Park. In keeping with TI's Atlanta influence, the concert will be hosted by Atlanta comedian Louis Ramey.
Ramey has performed on Nick at Night and Comedy Central. The opening act is the Georgia Tech group Just Over Broke, or J.O.B. The five-man group won the coveted opening spot in the Student Center's Battle of the Bands back in December.
"The scheduling and contract with TI were finalized roughly three weeks ago. Originally the concert was going to cost 70,000 dollars, but the price was lowered," said Scott Bancroft, Concerts Committee Chair.
The funding for TI's final $60,000 price tag came not only from the Student Center Programs Funds, but also from SGA, IFC, the Alumni Association, Panhellenic Council, and various other sources.
TI's performance is going to be slightly cheaper than last Sting Break's double performances by Cake and Big Boi, and the students are directly receiving the benefits. This years concert will be free entry for all students who present a Buzzcard, a move that will hopefully lead to the projected turnout of 5,000 students. The show is outside due to the construction in Alexander Memorial Coliseum this year.
The concert will be put on by the Student Center Programs Council Concert Committee, a group that plans various events throughout the year.
The committee was headed up by Scott Bancroft as the Concert Chair. The initial list of potential artists was gleaned from an email survey released to all students in early December.
The headlining artists for the past two years have been rap or hip-hop artists, and the committee wanted to appeal to the musical preferences of all Tech students.
Bancroft revealed that the comittee was originally interested in getting a rock group such as the Killers, who were ranked second in the polls, but they were unable to do so due to scheduling conflicts. Other rock groups considered were 311 and Weezer, but neither group was available.
The committee also looked into Kanye West, but he was ruled out due to a high price in the interest of providing a free concert.
Based on the results of the poll, the prices of the artists, and their availability to perform, the committee voted in favor of a free concert with TI, the "King of the South".
