Listen up, ladies and gentlemen. The Residence Halls Association, or RHA, is back in full swing this semester with a set of concerts guaranteed to leave you begging for more.
After a lackluster fall semester devoid of big bands, RHA Special Events managed to cram five shows into one month.
Grant Lyman, RHA Director of Special Events, describes this concert series as a historic event for MSU, sure to yield high attendance and satisfaction.
"We are incredibly excited about this semester," Lyman said. "We feel that we've put together the greatest assortment of concerts in the history of MSU."
Starting out the lineup, Mustard Plug hits the stage with special guest Deally Plaza on Saturday, March 18 at Erickson Kiva.
Sure, it's St. Patrick's Day weekend, but it's also only $5 for student tickets. A night of great music at the cost of a cup at a kegger. Who could ask for more?
Six ska superstars come together in the form of Mustard Plug, the 1991 garage-band turned mainstream hit. Thirteen years ago, Mustard Plug performed in East Lansing at a house party, but this time when the boys come to town, a roaring audience of fans will greet them at Erickson Kiva.
April begins with The Format in the Union Ballroom with guests June, Anathallo and Kickertape Parade on Monday, April 3. Tickets are $7 for students, $10 for the public.
The Format's indie rock sound hails from Peoria, Ariz., and brings in songs from three albums, most recently "Snails." One of the guests opening for the band, the local boys of Anathallo from Mount Pleasant, will bring an extra surge of indie beats with a progressive flair.
A Texas and New Jersey set of singer/guitarists and a Connecticut drummer make up the band Guster, which will be visiting MSU on Thursday, April 6 at the Auditorium with supporting act Andrew Bird.
Guster last released an album, "Keep It Together," in 2003, but the last three years haven't been unproductive. This June, the band plans to release its next set of tracks on "Ganging Up On The Sun," which will feature the single "Manifest Destiny" now available for listening on www.myspace.com and the band's Web site.
Shortly after, the Wharton Center will feature Ben Folds, the lead singer from former band Ben Folds Five, on Monday, April 10. Tickets range in price from $10 to $25.
Ben Folds will be performing his solo performance in Ann Arbor in March, but unless you already have tickets, there's no chance of getting into this show as it sold out quickly. To quell your Ben Folds hunger, this concert is your best shot.
Wrapping up this extensive list of musical guests, Switchfoot returns to MSU on Wednesday, April 19, this time at the Auditorium instead of the Union Ballroom, where the band was featured in 2004.
Just like Guster, Switchfoot will only be in Michigan this one time during its national tour schedule. That means get up and buy your tickets or else you'll regret missing it after they've gone.
Tickets for all five shows will go on sale Friday at 10 a.m.
Mustard Plug and The Format tickets are available only at Flat, Black and Circular, 541 E. Grand River Ave.
Guster, Ben Folds and Switchfoot tickets will be sold at the Wharton Center box office or by calling 1-800-WHARTON or at www.whartoncenter.com.
Ticketmaster is also selling tickets for these three shows, but students will not be given the discounted prices if they purchase from Ticketmaster.
