Mayfest and WNUR announced four of the five artists/groups for Dillo Day’s IndieU Stage: RUNNING, Teen Witch Fan Club, the GTW and Tink. Each act will be 30 minutes.
Tink, the headliner, is a 19-year-old singer and rapper from Chicago. She was featured recently in Gawker and is known for her mixtapes, which feature both her rap and her softer, more acoustic side. She will be the last to perform on the IndieU Stage from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m.
Marketing and Promotions Co-Director for WNUR Ramona Roy said they were particularly excited to announce Tink’s Dillo Day performance.
“She’ll be the first female performer or act in four years,” Roy said. “That was a huge issue among the student body at the beginning of the year.”
RUNNING, a noisy psych-punk band, will be playing first.
Teen Witch Fan Club is a DJ who will be remixing hit songs. Chicago Reader named them Best Subversive DJ Who Plays Top 40 Pop.
The GTW, which stands for “Greater than Wealth,” blends multiple genres including Nigerian music and global bass music. The GTW was featured on the cover of the Chicago Reader in March.
WNUR booked the talent, and they searched for up-and-coming artists from Chicago. WNUR emphasized their mission to represent underrepresented music that they think students will enjoy. This is the first time WNUR has been involved. This is the second year there will be a second stage, except this time the tent will be three times bigger.
IndieU creator Natalie Edell describes the organization as “a music technology company that connects independent artists to a targeted college fan base” via an online magazine and a mobile app.
“We couldn't be happier about the collaboration with WNUR since we both champion underrepresented artists and are happy to introduce them to a college audience here at Northwestern,” Edell said.
Outgoing General Manager of WNUR Soren Nelson said they are confident students will enjoy the artists, even though they might not recognize all the names.
“Obviously artists aren’t going to have the recognition that Mayfest mainstage artists have had, like 2 Chainz and Chance the Rapper,” Nelson said. “We really want to encourage people to not be disappointed because they don’t know them, but be excited about hearing new stuff.”
Updated, May 29, 2:50 p.m.: WNUR announced Sirr Tmo as the fifth and final artist for the Dillo Day IndieU Stage. He is a "22-year-old producer, DJ and dancer from Chicago," according to the press release. He is also a part of Chicago's premier footwork crew, Teklife, which has gained worldwide popularity in the last couple of years. Sirr Tmo will perform second in the IndieU Stage lineup.
WNUR also announced the schedule for the IndieU Stage. RUNNING will perform first at 1 p.m., followed by Sirr Tmo at 2:30 p.m. Teen Witch Fan Club will perform at 4:00, the GTW at 5:30 and the headliner Tink at 6:30.