On Wednesday, Feb. 25, Auburn UPC announced Kesha and Nelly would be performing at the Auburn Airwaves concert.
A third surprise guest will also be performing, but has not yet been announced as of Wednesday, March 4.
This year the Airwaves concert will be held downtown in front of Toomer’s Corner on April 18, a change from last year, when the concert was held in the Auburn Arena.
The date is also the same day as A-Day and is not ticketed, so thousands of Auburn fans are expected to gather for the concert that evening, according to Sagar Leva, UPC director of major entertainment.
If we could, we’d give UPC gold stars for getting more popular artists of this generation and moving the venue to a more open area.
In the past The Plainsman has criticized UPC’s selections in the editorials “‘Are you not entertained?’ No, we are not” and “‘Are you not entertained?’ Yes, we are now” for not bringing in more popular artists.
In the past two years Auburn has hosted The Avett Brothers, B.o.B, The Neighborhood, Train, Hot Chelle Rae and The Green River Ordinance. While those performers are relatively known, especially The Avett Brothers and B.o.B, they did not seem to appeal to the average college-aged student.
Kesha is a current pop star, whose hits include “Tik Tok” and “Die Young.” Her concerts are known for glitter, outrageous outfits and an overall party atmosphere, perfect for a college campus.
A majority of Nelly’s hits came in the early 2000’s and during that time, he was a hip hop king. His songs, such as “Hot in Herre” and “Country Grammer,” skyrocketed to the top of the charts. While he is less popular now, excluding his Top 100 hit in 2013 with “Hey Porsche” and his collaboration track “Over and Over” with Tim McGraw in 2009, his songs were prevalent during many students’ childhood.
His songs make us at The Plainsman feel nostalgic of grade school dances and the prevalence of grillz.
To put it simply, UPC’s selections this year have blasted their previous selections out of the water.
UPC has also stepped up its game with location.
Instead of being in a crowded venue such as the Auburn Arena, students and fans can enjoy the show outdoors and walk around in a more festival-type atmosphere.
Auburn fans who aren’t students can enjoy the show without having to pay $30 for a seat in the nosebleed section, meaning more people can enjoy the show with their friends and family.
Keep up the good trend, UPC, and keep these bands coming back to Auburn.
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