ben folds 2008

Thanks!

2008-04-20T00:11:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who came to Gustavus tonight for the big show! We hope you enjoyed Ari and Ben!

Less than 48 hours away...

2008-04-17T22:24:00.000-07:00

We are excited to announce that we have sold out for Saturday's Ben Folds show here at Gustavus (that's 3,100+ people).

If you scroll down the page, we have answered some of the questions you may have about the show and coming down to Gustavus. If you have other questions, please let us know by responding to this post or emailing us at bigconcert08@gac.edu.

Concert attendees are more than welcome to line up early for the show; however, the line up will be outside, rain or shine. Plan accordingly. Please note that alcohol will not be allowed in line outside or during the show.

We will see you on Saturday!!!

It's almost time!

2008-04-15T06:11:00.000-07:00

It is the week of the big show! As of 5pm Monday, only 150 of 3,100 tickets remained. Tickets are in limited supply at the Student Activities Office at Gustavus and are available online at www.GustavusTickets.com

To celebrate Saturday's concert, we have activities throughout the week on campus.

Tuesday: Find a date for the concert and Ben Folds origami

10:00am-1:30pm, outside the caf

Wednesday: Ben Folds cover night

8:00pm, Courtyard Cafe

Sign up at the SAO to sing, act, or dramatically read a Ben Folds song. The grand prize is a $100 iTunes gift card and tickets to the show! Registration is free and the winner will be chosen through an audience vote.

Saturday: The big show!

Doors 7:00pm, Concert 8:00pm

The Lund Center at Gustavus

Show occurs rain or shine

No one will be allowed into the building until 7pm, so prepare to wait outside

On Saturday, enjoy extended hours of the Courtyard Cafe (open from 5:00-11:00pm) and the Gustavus Marketplace (open from 7:00am-12:00am).

Directions to Gustavus, lodging accommodations, and area restaurants are available online at www.gustavus.edu/welcome

Any questions? Hit us up here on the blog or email us at bigconcert08@gac.edu

We'll see you on Saturday!

Your Questions...Answered

2008-04-03T20:00:00.000-07:00

The concert is just over two weeks away! Around 650 tickets remain, so make sure to get yours soon. Tickets are available at the Gustavus Information Desk, SLD&SL at Minnesota State, Mankato and online at www.GustavusTickets.com

We have received many questions from excited Ben Folds fans via email and have decided to post some of the most frequently asked questions here on our blog. Of course, if you have any other questions, hit reply to this post or email us at bigconcert08@gac.edu

Q: Is this an all ages show?

A: Sure is.

Q: What is seating like in the arena?

A: Every ticket is general admission. The main floor will be standing room only. The balcony will be open as well, which will have seating. Make sure to get here early to get a good spot!

Q: I have never been to Gustavus before. Where the heck are you?

A: Well we're excited you're coming! Gustavus is in St. Peter, MN, one hour south of the Twin Cities. Directions to campus can be found at www.gustavus.edu/welcome

Q: Can I still order tickets?

A: Of course! If you are not able to purchase them in person, you can purchase them online at www.gustavustickets.com until the week of the show.

Q: I ordered tickets on your website and haven't received them. What should I do?

A: If it has been over 10 days since you've ordered your tickets, email bigconcert08@gac.edu and a concert executive will get back to you.

Q: Will I be able to leave the concert once it begins?

A: Due to security reasons, no re-admittance will be allowed once the show begins.

Q: Can I bring food or drink into the arena?

A: No food or drink will be allowed in the ticketed area.

Q: What options do I have for food in St. Peter?

A: In addition to a handful of restaurants in St. Peter, the Market Place and Courtyard Cafe at Gustavus will have food specials and will have extended hours the day of the show. The Market Place, one of the 20 top college dining experiences in the nation, will stay open from 7am-midnight the day of the show.

Q: What time do doors open?

A: We will begin to take tickets at 7:00pm.

With Special Guest Ari Herstand

2008-03-30T18:58:00.000-07:00

After weeks of not knowing who the opening act would be for Ben Folds, we are proud to announce that Ari Herstand will be performing before Ben Folds on April 19th in Lund Arena at Gustavus Adolphus College.

Ari Herstand is a singer/songwriter from Minneapolis who will be doing the Gustavus show for a local crowd before kicking off his East Coast tour later this month.

Herstand often incorporates a wide range of musical influences into his own compositions; ranging from pop to hip-hop, folk to blues. Ari Herstand has established a very loyal Midwest fan base but gained national acclaim while opening for acts such as Cake, Sister Hazel, Phil Vassar, Matt Nathanson, and more. Ari's music has even been featured on MTV's hit reality show, "The Real World".

Check out www.ariherstand.com and www.myspace.com/ariherstand to get a sample of the great musical talent that you will be hearing starting at 8:00 PM on Saturday, April 19th.

Just another reminder, tickets are going FAST and if you want to be guaranteed a ticket you need to buy yours SOON! Tickets available at the SAO desk and online at www.gustavustickets.com

Do you have your tickets yet?

2008-03-26T12:53:00.001-07:00

As of today, we have sold almost 2/3 of the tickets for Ben Folds (that's 2,000 tickets). Only 1,000 remain, so make sure to buy yours soon! There are three options for buying tickets:

1. In person at the Student Activities Office at Gustavus (only place for Gustavus students and staff to buy discounted tickets)

2. In person at the SLD&SL office at Mankato State University

3. Online at www.gustavustickets.com*

* Please note that the GustavusTickets website will be down for an upgrade from 8:00am Thursday, March 27 until 10:00pm Friday, March 28.*

If you have any questions, send them to bigconcert08@gac.edu. See you at the show!

Medallion Found

2008-03-20T16:57:00.001-07:00

If you have been searching for the Ben Folds medallion, it was found Tuesday evening. It was underneath the piano bench near the Admissions Office. Thanks to everyone that searched! Here were the remaining clues in the search:

We were sure this would be easy, it's rather black and white.

As long as you're in Campus Center, your spot will be just right.

Look low to find this prize, it's hiding where you sit.

You better hurry Ben Folds fans because this prize soon will split.

Medallion Hunt, Day 3

2008-03-19T11:33:00.001-07:00

Tickets are still available at the Student Activities Office at a discount for Gustavus students ($10). Consider buying your tickets before spring break - they may be gone when you get back!

We are also excited to announce a partnership with Minnesota State University Mankato. Tickets will be sold on campus at SLD & SL from March 31-April 11. Tickets can be purchased there for $15.

If you are keeping up with the scavenger hunt, here is the clue for day 3. Remember that the medallion needs to be found by Thursday at 4:30 in order to win the prize.

We are shocked you don't know where we've hid our Ben Folds prize.

Well from this place cd is, you will hear the music and lyrics rise!

Medallion Hunt, Day 2

2008-03-18T08:35:00.000-07:00

Keep searching for the Ben Folds medallion and the prize of two tickets to this year's show! Tickets are going fast, so in order not to miss out, buy yours today! Tickets are available at the Gustavus Student Activities Office or online at www.gustavustickets.com

Ben and Stevie rock this place - it's where they like to play.

But the best person to grace their presence here was a woman known as Kay!

Happy hunting!

Medallion Hunt, Day 1

2008-03-17T07:02:00.001-07:00

Here is your first clue in the medallion hunt. The medallion is hidden in a public location on the Gustavus campus. Please remember to be respectful to all property (no digging). Look for new clues daily at 10:00am. The announcement

Do you want to see Ben Folds but you're short a little money?

Well keep your song in key and your future will be more sunny!

Remember, tickets are available for the general public beginning today. They can be purchased online at www.gustavustickets.com

I Am the Luckiest

2008-03-12T19:04:00.001-07:00

Beginning Monday, March 17th, join CAB in the "I Am the Luckiest" campaign at Gustavus. The main festivity is a medallion hunt - the grand prize is a pair of tickets to the big show! Here's all the info:

-Every morning at 10:00am, a new clue for the medallion will be posted outside the Student Activities Office and on this website.

-The medallion will be located in a public place on Gustavus owned property.

-The medallion will not be hid underground, so please, no digging.

-Please be courteous of all property while searching.

-If the medallion is not found by Thursday, March 20 by 4:30pm, the contest will officially end.

-The location of the medallion will be revealed on this website once it has been found or when the contest ends, whichever comes first.

-Any questions regarding the medallion hunt can be directed to bigconcert08@gac.edu.

Gusties, visit the CAB table outside the caf from 10am-1:30pm on Monday, March 17th!

If you haven't joined our facebook event, make sure you are tuned in to that as well! www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=10459597428

Tickets Now On Sale

2008-03-03T16:15:00.000-08:00

The day has finally come... Gustavus students, faculty, and staff are now able to purchase their Ben Folds ticket at the SAO!

Tickets will be available for purchase whenever there is a worker at the SAO from today until the day they sell out. For only $10, members of the Gustavus community can buy a ticket to one of the greatest performers of our era. Be prepared, however, the SAO only accepts cash and checks. If you have your heart set on paying with a credit card you'll have to wait until the 17th and order at GustavusTickets.com and you won't be given the option to buy at the student discount rate.

Next time you're in the Campus Center swing by the SAO, show them your GAC ID, and buy your ticket for CAB's biggest musical event of the year, you won't want to miss out!!!

For those of you who don't know...

2008-02-28T10:25:00.000-08:00

It's become clear that there are quite a few die hard Ben Folds fans on campus. For those of you who are still on the fence about this concert or anyone who's just looking to know a bit more about CAB's big performer this year, you're in luck. Read a bit of his bio below, check out the link to hear some of his music online, or read a few reviews of his past CDs to convince yourself that Lund Arena will be the place to be on April 19th.

Ben Folds is best known as a solo artist and as the frontman and pianist of Ben Folds Five, celebrated for a compositional style and playing technique that still remains wholly unique, combining elements of the 'singer/songwriter' genre, jazz, and power rock with an added edge and bold infusion of energy and wit.

Ben Folds puts on a high energy, blistering live show. Fans of Ben Folds and modern day music critics alike have deemed Ben Folds a must-see live act from day one. Ben and his band had created quite a bit of buzz by the time of the release of their second album. Released in 1997, Whatever and Ever Amen was pure pop perfection, and included the ballad "Brick" that broke the band commercially.

Due to artistic differences, Ben Folds Five broke up in 2000, and Ben’s next solo album, Rockin' the Suburbs, released in 2001, with Ben playing most of the instruments himself received rave reviews. A year later, he released a live album, Ben Folds Live, followed by three EPs. In 2005, his latest solo work, Songs for Silverman, was released to critical acclaim.

Consistently touring, Ben Folds has earned a reputation for his charismatic, high energy shows packed with his trademark wit and brilliant musicality.

Swing over to http://www.myspace.com/benfolds to hear several of Ben's tracks. All of his music is also available on iTunes for purchase if you are so inclined.

To get a better idea of what you'll be hearing, we've included a couple of online reviews of Ben's past work.
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/17798-ben-folds-live
http://www.amazon.com/review/product/B00005NZKK/ref=dp_db_cm_cr_acr_txt/103-5980245-4228624?%5Fencoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

And don't forget to swing by the SAO to pick up your Ben Folds ticket starting this Monday. While you're there, don't forget to buy your ticket to President's Ball (if you haven't already... they're going fast) and an application to be part of CAB next year!

Makes Your Wheels Turn With CAB

2008-02-25T14:44:00.000-08:00

Aside from sponsoring this fantastic concert, the Campus Activities Board (CAB) sponsors a ton of great events throughout the year. Everything from President's Ball to the weekend movie, from the Courtyard Cafe performances to special trips to see theater productions and pro sports events, CAB is your source for great campus activities.

If you have the desire to get more involved in bringing future events to Gustavus and use your potential to plan events that are attended by your peers, CAB is currently taking applications for Presidential and Executive positions for next year!

The CAB Co-Presidents oversee the entire CAB organization and the CAB Executive Board. Each Executive position is in charge of one of the branches of CAB and plans events within that discipline. Applications for both positions are currently available at the SAO!

Application deadline for Presidential positions is quickly approaching... applications must be turned in by Friday February 29.

Executive position applications must be returned by Friday March 14.

CAB is a great way to get involved with fantastic events and making the campus a more eventful place. We hope to see your application very soon!!!

Don't forget, President's Ball tickets are now on sale at the SAO and Ben Folds tickets will be going on sale this coming Monday!

Ben Folds loves his health food

2008-02-22T09:20:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, I just wanted to introduce myself real quickly. I'm Quinn Thompson and I serve as the CAB Concerts Executive. For any question that you may have regarding the concert, feel free to contact me at bigconcert08@gac.edu . I'd be happy to help you out in any way I can.

In my years working with bands coming to campus, I've seen a lot of strange requests from the bands in their riders. A rider is what is attached to the end of a contract full of things that they want the venue to supply for backstage. Perhaps the oddest combination I have ever seen in the same rider is a large pack of dark brown tube socks and four packs of assorted flavors of Big League Chew. You'd be surprised how hard it is to find different flavors of Big League Chew in St. Peter and Mankato!

Some of the items asked for from Ben and the band this time around are:

organic whole milk
Cocoa Puffs
Albacore tuna
salted almonds and peanuts
soy milk
organic yogurt
Emergen"C"
and LOTS of water

There's plenty more included on the rider, but I'll spare you the details. Just a reminder that it's just over a week until tickets go on sale at the SAO. $10 for a ticket to Ben Folds at Gustavus is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and cheaper than you'll find at any other school across the nation! Also, be sure to check out this week's edition of The Weekly for a feature on the Ben Folds Experience.

2008-02-13T19:09:00.001-08:00

We are pleased to announce our big concert for 2008

Ben Folds

The stats:

Saturday, April 19th, 8:00pm
Lund Arena
Opening act TBD

Ticket information:

Tickets for GAC students will be available beginning Monday, March 3rd at the Student Activities Office. Tickets for Gustavus students are $10 each. The $10 ticket price will only be available at the SAO. Payments can be made by cash or check. The last day to buy tickets at the $10 price is Friday, April 18th.
Tickets for others will be available beginning Monday, March 17th. Tickets will be $15 for non-Gustavus students. Tickets will be available online with Ticketmaster or at Ticketmaster outlets. Gustavus students will also have the opportunity to buy additional tickets for the $15 price at the SAO.
Tickets will be available at the door for $15.
We encourage everyone to buy their ticket early!

Keep tuned in to this blog for more information and the insider scoop to Ben Folds! Make sure to check out Ben's music at www.benfolds.com.

Welcome!

2008-01-22T20:05:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Big Concert blog, produced by the Campus Activities Board!

On this blog, we will keep you up to date on the big concert - give you ticket information, put up special announcements, and give you the insider's scoop as we prepare for the show, which is on Saturday, April 19th. We will update this blog often, so make sure to check back in throughout spring semester.

Right now, mark your calendar for Wednesday, February 13th. From 6:00-7:00pm in the Caf, CAB will be hosting a big concert party! Come to hear what group is playing in this year's show, learn more about when tickets will go on sale, get details on the 2008 President's Ball, sign up to be a part of CAB, and so much more! We will be giving away Gustavus keychains as well!

If you have any questions regarding the concert, feel free to contact us anytime. Place a response on our blog or email us at bigconcert08@gac.edu

Enjoy the rest of J-Term and we will see you on February 13th!