The Northern Nights Performing Arts series will host a concert featuring the band Frontier Ruckus on Friday, Nov. 16.
Frontier Ruckus is a four-piece band from Detroit that will be stopping at NMU as a part of their Eternity of Dimming tour.
According to Northern Nights coordinator Daniel Truckey, the group fits the bill for the ongoing series.
“The mission of Northern Nights is to bring world class performers to Northern Michigan University and contribute to the education of its students through unique cultural experiences,” Truckey said.
Frontier Ruckus plays folk and Midwest Americana music and have been featured in “Paste Magazine” and “Adult Swim.” The committee that chooses the concerts for the series felt that the group would draw in students.
“One of our members, Andrew Smentkowski, was a big fan of Frontier Ruckus,” Truckey said. “He felt they would have a special attraction to the student audience.”
Matthew Milia, the singer and songwriter for Frontier Ruckus, formed the band. Other members include David Winston Jones, Ryan Etzcorn and Zachary Nichols.
“The musical force and color came from the chemical collaborations of David, Zach, Ryan and Matthew and the turbulent collision of planets that were all of their disparate yet common Michigan childhoods,” Milia said. “We are nice people and couldn’t be happier to create pictures for an occupation.”
The Eternity of Dimming tour gives a mental picture of summer dusk, Milia said. It is also the name of their third full-length record, set to be released on Jan. 29, 2013.
“It’s a metaphor for the distancing and dimming of blazing memory,” Milia said.
Katelyn Durst, a student representative for the Northern Nights advisory board, said that the group creates meaningful art.
“Milia studied poetry at Michigan State and he brings deep meanings to the music,” Durst said.
Last month Northern Nights brought the band Homemade Jamz to NMU and Durst said after their show, she was able to talk with band members about poetry.
“A lot of bands that come to NMU want to talk to students and are really open,” Durst said. “We like to bring internationally-rounded sound as opposed to what one might hear on the radio.”
Durst said she encourages students to come out and to visit the Northern Nights website at www.nmu.edu/northernnights to hear a preview and get a feel of what the concert will be like.
“I know there are a lot of shows all over town that we can go to that are only 21 and up, so this is the opportunity for really anyone to come and you don’t have to worry about an age limit,” Durst said.
Student tickets for the event are $2 in advance and $4 at the door. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. in Jamrich 102.
For more information, call Truckey at (906) 227-3212 or email [email protected].
