The Homecoming Committee officially announced its bands for the Pack Howl Concert, the Avett Brothers, Guster and Brett Dennen, and announced the new theme, “Crush the Cavs.”
Tickets went on sale Friday.
Josh Sherrod, Homecoming Committee chair said the committee voted to change the theme from “Blow Away UVA” after hearing some concerns from students and alumni.
Planning for this year’s Homecoming started last April.
According to Adam Compton, Homecoming publicity chair, at the end of last year, the Homecoming committee met to solicit student feedback and opinions on who they wanted for the Pack Howl Concert.
“It brings a very unique dynamic for this year’s Pack Howl pep rally and concert,” Compton, a junior in agricultural business, said.
He said he thinks the bands provide a mix of genres to attract everyone.
“We’re really excited to be offering to campus this year the Crocs Next Step Campus Tour featuring Brett Dennen, Guster, as well as to offer the North Carolina-based group, the Avett Brothers,” he said.
According to Jeramy Blackford, assistant director of student membership and marketing of the Alumni Association and adviser of the Homecoming Committee, after students submitted their picks for bands, an agent helped the committee pick the best bands based on funding, timing and venue.
He said Guster has not been to Raleigh in a while and the Avett Brothers are North Carolina-based, part of the reason the agent helped the committee find them.
Blackford said the committee is still negotiating prices, but the bands are confirmed, and the committee signed the contracts.
According to Blackford, a lot of funding is coming from sponsors. Athletics, the Wolfpack Club, Liberty Mutual, the Alumni Association and the Union Activities Board are some of this year’s sponsors, he said.
“Our goal is always to sell out Reynolds,” Blackford said. “We usually shoot for around 5,000.”
He said this year, the committee feels pretty confident it will go over the estimated 5,000 seats.
Sherrod, a senior in microbiology, said students have never filled the entire Reynolds Coliseum during the Pack Howl Concert but that the number increases every year.
Even so, he said he is excited about the entire week.
“We got the Embers for kickoff,” he said. “We’ve got an amazing parade.”
The Homecoming Committee is continuing to advertise, including making a promotional video to publicize the events.
Compton said the Committee is also hiring a publicity firm to help with advertising the bands, and committee members will set up sandwich boards around campus and table tents in the dining halls.
