As the last remnants of summer fade into the chaos of midterms, Duke University Union's Joe College Day will offer students a chance to say goodbye to their laid-back days in style.
Beginning Saturday at 3 p.m. on Main West Quadrangle, the festival will feature a diverse lineup of five bands, in styles ranging from hip-hop to southern rock.
The day opens with the Sammies, a rock outfit hailing from nearby Charlotte. The band will perform tracks from their second album, Sandwich, released last week.
Also hailing from the South, local rap ensemble Kooley High will bring their lyrical stylings to the stage. Starting as a group of friends who met at North Carolina State University in 2006, Kooley High produces hip-hop tracks with a vintage feel. Their self-released EP, Summer Sessions, matches the relaxed hangout atmosphere of Joe College Day.
Traveling from Massachusetts' North Shore, the Brew lends the festival some authentic jam-band cred. They describe their most recent effort, Back to the Woods, as an eclectic mix of prog, jazz, world beat and funk.
"The Brew were top priority for booking," said Joe College Day Director Karen Chen, a sophomore. "They are your classic jam band, perfect for an outdoor music festival."
As natural light decreases, star power will only increase. Up-and-coming Brooklyn band White Rabbits pop out of their hat, fresh from touring with indie elder statesmen Spoon last spring. The critical and commercial success of their 2007 debut album, Fort Nightly, played a large role in their selection for the lineup.
"The anticipation of their next album made them feel like a breakout artist," Chen said. "There's even a documentary being made about them now."
Headlining the festival, California's Shwayze will close out the day. The duo is comprised of rapper Aaron Smith, known as Shwayze, and Whitestarr frontman Cisco Adler (perhaps better-known as Lauren Conrad and Mischa Barton's ex), who produced their self-titled debut. The group's website describes their music as "a melting-pot of laid-back melodies, hip-hop rhythms and acoustic guitars." They were recently featured in the MTV reality show Buzzin', which chronicled their rise to fame.
"We originally didn't think we would get Shwayze," Chen said. "He was projected to cost $45,000, but we got him for $10,000. He has a great summer feel and kind of mixes the rock and hip-hop genres."
The lineup's variety promises to provide a compelling eight hours of music. It might not be LDOC, but Joe College Day should prove to be a nice escape from the horrors of midterms, both past and present.
The lineup for events on Saturday is as follows:
3 to 8 p.m. Food and Arts vendors open
4 p.m. DUU T-shirt Tie Dye
6 p.m. Sweet 16 Eating Contest
The schedule for performing artists is:
3:30 p.m. The Sammies, 4:45 p.m. Kooley High, 6:30 p.m. The Brew, 7:45 p.m. White Rabbits, 9:15 Schwayze
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