O.A.R., Cypress Hill, Anna Nalick and Filomath will welcome West Virginia University students back to campus Monday, Aug. 22, for the 11 th annual FallFest Concert on the Mountainlair Plaza.
FallFest, now in its 11th year, is returning to its home in the Mountainlair following renovations (new turf, a basketball court, terraced walkways, increased lighting, and tables and seating) to the student unions outdoor plaza. Last years concert was held on the green near the life sciences building.
FallFest 2005 is free to WVU students with a valid WVU student ID. Gates open at 6 p.m. with events wrapping up shortly after midnight.
One of the most successful indie bands ever, O.A.R., returns to WVU (its first performance was before a sell-out crowd in the Mountainlair Ballrooms in October 2003) while gearing up for the release of its latest CD,Stories of a Stranger,due out in October.
The bands percolating rhythms, provoking lyrics and soaring vocals exude a raw energy and power that have made it one of the top touring acts in the country.
Since the groups humble beginnings in drummer Chris Culos basement, O.A.R. has sold three-quarters of a million albums and played to more than 800,000 people. FallFest fans can expect to hear the bands live show staples likeWonderful Day,as well as the lead single off the new albumThe Stranger.
The pioneering rap-rock quartet Cypress Hill is a hip-hop legend known for its hitsInsane in the BrainandWhats Your Number,to name a few. Over the course of groups career, Cypress Hill has sold more than seven million albums in this country alone, eight of which have been certified gold, platinum or multi-platinum.
The group has headlined Lollapalooza, Woodstock and its ownSmokinGroovestourall while breaking down the barriers between hip-hop, alternative, metal, rock, reggae, ska and Latin music.
Cypress Hill is currently touring New York, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia in a concert series celebrating the indelible contributions of chart-topping urban music headliners to the American music landscape.
Anna Nalicks initial attention may have come from licensing her songs to such TV shows asJoan of ArcadiaandOne Tree Hill,but this summers release of her debut albumWreck of the Daysignals the arrival of an unmistakable new voice in pop musicone full of youthful exuberance and provocative reflection.
Her first single off this album, the strikingly melodicBreathe (2AM),is the smash hit of the summer. Nalicks star is definitely on the rise.
Filomath, a New York-based quartet with a loyal following in New York Citys underground music scene, will introduce its brand of alt-rock to WVU fans when it opens the FallFest plaza concert at 6:30 p.m.
Filomath offers a passionate brand of upbeat rock with a twist in the form analog synth sounds from a keytar played by the bands lead singer. Filomath has appeared with Maroon 5, Evanescence and Ben Folds.
Also on tap for FallFest 2005 is a dance party featuring four-time Grammy nominee Ali Shaheed Muhammad, a founding member of the legendary trio A Tribe Called Quest. Known for its groundbreaking jazz-rap revolution and progressive views, the band made history with classic albums such asThe Low End TheoryandMidnight Marauders.
After Tribe disbanded, Muhammad co-founded super trio Lucy Pearl with Raphael Saadiq and ex-En Vogue member Dawn Robinson.
Now he has released a solo CD,Shaheedullah and Stereotypes,a project he callsthe first phase of a bigger musical journeyand the critics callrefreshing and daring.
The dance party begins at 10 p.m. in the Mountainlair Ballrooms.
Hatfields in theLair will have a special Comedy Caravan featuring Dwight York and Keith Alberstadt beginning at 9 p.m., and the Mountainlair Gluck Theatre will host a film festival featuring Will Ferrell ofSaturday Night Livefame.
Anchormanwill be showing at 6:30 p.m., followed byOld Schoolat 8:30 p.m. andKicking&Screamingat 10:30 p.m.
Legal beverages (beer) will be available to students 21 and older with proof of age. Pepperoni rolls and chips will be available for purchase ($1 each), and there will be free soft drinks and water.
Both the University bus system and the PRT will be running. Transportation details will be posted on the MIX (Mountaineer Information Xpress).
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