Indie rocker Howie Day and soul man Calvin Richardson will headline Bulldog Bash 2004, the Student Association confirmed.
The two college-friendly performers mark a change from Edwin McCain, last year’s headliner. The two are young and up-and-coming, whereas McCain reached his peak in national popularity in the late ’90s.
Chrissie Prichard, one of the Student Association’s co-directors for external affairs, said the decision to have two headliners this year will rectify one of the problems organizers of past Bashes have faced: a lack of diversity in acts.
She hopes that the two artists from two very different genres will satisfy more people’s musical appetites.
The Sept. 10 festival will also be the most expensive Bash to date. Prichard said the Student Association spent about four times as much for Day and Richardson as they did for McCain last year.
The total budget for the festival is about $60,000, she said.
Cliff Jones, the Student Association co-director for external events, said Day’s concerts are mellow, but catchy.
“It’s laid back, relaxed,” Jones said. “It’s not hardcore, smash-your-face-into-the-pole-beside-you, but it will definitely make you move.”
Jones saw Day perform in Chicago over the summer while he was interning for a landscaping firm.
“I thought his live show was incredible,” he said.
Steve Ellis, the manager of campus radio station 91.1 WMSV, said Day has developed a following in the South from constant touring. Day’s new single, “Collide,” is on rotation at his station.
“Howie Day’s had a couple of really strong songs,” Ellis said.
WMSV has been playing Day’s latest single, “Collide,” since he released Stop All The World Now in 2003.
Richardson, who will perform before Day, gets his influence from the soul gods of the ’70s.
Jones said he hopes Richardson’s syrupy neo-soul crooning will bring more people to the Bash than if only Day performed.
Neo-soul, Jones said, isn’t a genre Starkville sees much of. VHI described the genre as the new generation of soul, the Al Greens and Marvin Gayes of today- “classically ’70s yet compellingly contemporary.”
Richardson shares the classification with big names like Erykah Badu and D’angelo.
Jones said it has taken about four months to find the artists and sign them. He said he began scouring the Internet for artists who would be in the area in May.
He saw that Richardson and Day would be relatively close, researched the artists and contacted them.
“Now we’re working on the fine details,” he said.
Jones still has to refine the stage setup process and lineup details. He did say, however, that music will begin about 7:30 Friday night. The Main Stage lineup is currently local rockers Mile 8, then Richardson, then Day.
Student Association President Adam Telle said the event is the largest free outdoor event in the state. He said he expects about 30,000 people to attend.
Bulldog Bash is the largest collaboration between the city of Starkville and the Student Association.
Telle said he expects the festival, in its fifth year, to grow indefinitely.
“I think the city of Starkville and the University are starting to get it,” Ellis said.