The ninth annual Bulldog Bash will kick off Mississippi State University’s first SEC football weekend tonight in the Cotton District. What is being hailed as the largest free outdoor concert in the state kicks off at 5 p.m. with fan fare festivities and continues throughout the night, concluding with a performance by headliner Gavin DeGraw at 10:30 p.m. The event is presented by the MSU Student Association and MSU Alumni Association.
SA President Braxton Coombs said he expects this year’s concert to have its biggest turn out to date, thanks in part to a heavy advertising campaign.
“We will be expecting around 30,000 people for the concert, our largest crowd ever,” Coombs said. “We have been advertising state-wide for a while now and have even had radio spots playing in the Auburn area.”
This year’s concert will mark the first in which the MSU Alumni Association is the title sponsor.
Jimmy Abraham, executive director of alumni activities, said the Alumni Association wanted to participate in the event because it brings so many MSU graduates back to Starkville.
“Thousands of people who attend Bulldog Bash will be alumni, and all of these former students have great memories of our university while attending MSU,” Abraham said. “By sponsoring Bulldog Bash, [The Alumni Association] can help the Student Association put on a first-class event that everyone will enjoy, as well as give back to a university that has given our graduates so much.”
While this year’s concert will again place the main stage on University Drive next to Bin 612, the second stage will move to Page Avenue.
Brooke Grantham, SA co-director of external events, said the moving of the second stage will help with crowd flow.
“Moving the Rick’s Café stage to Page Avenue will hopefully disperse the crowd,” Grantham said. “We wanted to maximize space as much as possible.”
Fan fare for families and local residents will kick off the bash. Fan fare activities include a dunking booth, a mechanical bull and food from local vendors.
At 5:45 p.m., the Famous Maroon Band and MSU cheerleaders will lead a pep rally in front of the main stage to ready the crowd for a weekend of entertainment and football.
Music will formally begin at 6 p.m. with local band Nash Street taking the Rick’s Café stage. SA co-director of external events Frances Luke said the band’s talent and ties to the community make the group a perfect opening act.
“Almost every member of the band is either a student at MSU or graduate,” Luke said. “They also just recently won the Colgate Country Showdown competition in Nashville and are gifted musicians.”
Country musician Jonathan Singleton will get things started on the main stage at 7:15 p.m.
Although singing, Singleton has garnered national acclaim with his writing, penning the country hit “Watching Airplanes” for singer Gary Allan.
“Airplanes” went on to spend over 30 weeks on the Billboard Hot Country Chart.
Grantham said Singleton is quickly rising through the ranks of country music.
“Jason Singleton is our up-and-coming country artist,” she said. “He is trying to get his name out there, and we are excited to have him to perform.”
Jamaican reggae/hip-hop act Exodus will take the Rick’s Café stage at 7:30 p.m. while R&B group Whild Peach is slated to perform at 8:30 p.m. on the main stage.
Jason Isbell will close out the Rick’s Café stage at 9 p.m. Isbell, a singer and writer for Drive-by Truckers, will perform many of the band’s well-known songs throughout his solo set.
Opening for headliner Gavin DeGraw will be acoustic/pop artist Matt Wertz at 9:45 p.m. on the main stage.
A former industrial design student, Wertz began playing small concerts and built a large fan base through MySpace.
Luke said Wertz’s laid-back music will give this year’s concert a more mellow feel.
“Matt Wertz reminds me of a mixture of Jack Johnson and John Mayer,” Luke said. “We were lucky enough to have him touring with Gavin DeGraw.”
International recording artist Gavin DeGraw will take the main stage at 10:30 p.m. DeGraw, known for his hits “I Don’t Want to Be,” “Chariot” and “In Love With a Girl” will close out the night with his pop-rock-infused sound.
Grantham said obtaining DeGraw was no small feat, but everything fell into place at the right time.
“We raised nearly $40,000 in funding in order to have a concert with a big name like DeGraw’s,” she said. “The booking agencies did not think he would come, but the timing, money and location all happened at the right time.”
Adding to the abundance of music, a number of vendors will be located on Maxwell Street, leading to the Grill.
Food vendors will include Bulldog Deli, Dave’s Dark Horse Tavern, The Grill, Mugshots and Sno Biz.
Coombs said he hopes the concert will act as a symbol of unity for all parties involved in the planning process.
“I hope this concert works toward strengthening the relationship between students, Mississippi State University and the residents of Starkville,” Coombs said. “This is an event recognized throughout the Southeast, and we hope for its continued success.”
For more information about Bulldog Bash, visit bulldogbashmsu.com.