Campus Activities Board and Music Maker Productions announced that the R&B group Day26 will perform at this year’s Old Main Music Festival.
Student Association President-elect Blake Jeter said the band got its start on a popular television reality show.
“Day26 is an R&B band that was made famous from MTV’s ‘Making the Band,'” he said. “So, it should be a very popular show that covers different genres and can appeal to our diverse student body.”
Dejanae Banks, CAB special events division head, said the planning committee tried to find acts that everyone would like when choosing bands for the festival.
“They are very entertaining and hopefully the crowd will enjoy them,” she said.
Jeter said a few things will be different at this year’s festival than in the past.
“One of the main differences from this year’s festival from last year’s is its place during Super Bulldog Weekend and the fact that it is taking place after the spring football game,” he said. “Students do not normally leave town that weekend, hundreds of prospective students, and of course alumni flock to this weekend every spring, so we felt like it was the ideal time to have a free outdoor concert.”
He also said the atmosphere for the event will be energetic as the concert is set to follow the spring football game.
“People can walk over to the Amphitheater from the Junction or Davis Wade and enjoy a fun, laid-back atmosphere,” he said. “The late spring date is perfect for an outside venue like the Amphitheater.”
Darius Rucker, who rose to fame as lead singer of the band Hootie & the Blowfish will headline Old Maine. Rucker will be playing music ranging from his old style with his former group to his new country singles.
Banks said the opening act will be decided in a similar way to how it was chosen last year.
“The opening act will be announced after the Battle of the Bands competition, which CAB will sponsor on March 25,” she said.
Krista Sherman, CAB student director, said Day26 was chosen because the board thought it would add variety to the festival lineup and appeal to a wide range of audiences.
“We were attracted to them because we thought a lot of students might have watched ‘Making the Band IV’ and because of the quality of their music,” she said. “Their new album is going to be released on April 14, so we’re hoping that will fuel some buzz about the band and increase student interest.”
Sherman said the band is up-and-coming and will add a lot of energy to the atmosphere of the festival.
“They are true entertainers and this is a show you don’t want to miss,” she said.