Along with announcements of the A&O Ball and A&O Speaker performers, A&O Productions unveiled a new ticket bundle in collaboration with Norris Box Office to make both events more affordable for students.
Major Lazer, the fusion dancehall project of renowned DJs Diplo and Switch, will be headlining the A&O Ball, to be held on Saturday, Apr. 14 at 8 p.m. at the Riviera Theatre. Method Man, a member of the Wu-Tang Clan, will be opening the show.
"We think it's going to be a very cohesive and fun show," said Weinberg senior Allison Zuzelo, Director of Concerts for A&O. "Both artists are really good at engaging the audience, and we think it definitely hits the vibe of what campus is looking for right now. This year we definitely noticed a big increase in the number of students who are listening to electronic dance music, so that was something we really tried to focus on this year with Ball."
As for Method Man, Zuzelo points to his prominent career as an appeal for students. "Method Man is obviously a very recognized and established rapper with his past with Wu-Tang and his solo stuff as well," she said. "He's also done a lot of work in movies and TV shows recently, so it's a very recognizable name."
A&O also announced that the A&O Speaker for spring will be acclaimed British comedian John Oliver, who will be performing on Friday, April 20 at 8 p.m. at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall.
"I think the thing we like about him most is that he's got a pretty diverse career," said Weinberg senior Max Brawer, the Director of Speakers for A&O. "He made a huge name for himself on The Daily Show, which is one of the most popular shows especially for our age group, and then he went on to Community."
"We were glad to see that the students were rallying support and really signing petitions just to get a show on the air," said Brawer, citing strong support for the sitcom during its hiatus. "We're happy to get one of its cast members on. We thought that was a good indicator; he is someone who is very current and sought-after."
In collaboration with Norris Box Office, A&O is revealing a new ticket bundle that will allow undergraduate and graduate students as well as faculty to save on both events. For undergraduate students, the individual tickets for each event will be $10, but a ticket bundle that will include admission to both events will be $15, allowing students to save 25 percent. For graduate students, individual tickets will be $15 each, and ticket bundles for both events will be $22.50 each.
"We think this is a really affordable way for students to get involved with our spring programming and get to see both shows for an affordable price," said Weinberg senior Vivek Sudarsan, Co-Director of Promotions & Public Relations for A&O. "Something that we really try to focus on is the student experience, and ticketing is a part of that, making sure everybody has an opportunity to see both of those shows."
Tickets for both events will go on sale for undergraduates online at the Norris Box Office site on Thursday, Apr. 5 at 10:30 a.m. Students may purchase up to four tickets per NetID, including ticket bundles. Tickets for graduate students and faculty will go on sale on Monday, Apr. 8 at 10:30 a.m. Transportation to and from the Riviera Theatre will be provided. For both events, tickets are non-refundable and WildCARDs will be checked at the door.
Full disclosure: Max Brawer is a former editor and marketing director for North By Northwestern.