This isn’t the music you’re used to, and it’s a different genre of visiting band for NMU. Northern Arts and Entertainment (NAE) is preparing to showcase the band Aer to NMU at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 28 in the Vandament Arena.
“I want students to have appreciation for a new genre of music,” said Jordan Paquet, a senior public relations major and president of NAE. “It’s fun, dancing, loud, fantastic music, unlike any other genre.”
Aer is a Boston based duo featuring David von Mering and Carter Schultz. The band is a twisting mix of pop, hip-hop, reggae, indie rock and electronica, said Paquet. Aer has been touring the West coast most recently and sold out a concert on March 20 in Orange County, according to their Facebook page. Aer also has more than 58,000 followers on both YouTube and Spotify.
In NAE, there are many people dedicated to bringing Aer to campus and it’s “a lengthy process,” said Abby Johnson, a freshman food service management major.
Hannah Lewis, advisor for NAE and coordinator in the Center for Student Enrichment, said that there are many companies involved.
“We contact an agent [with one of the companies] who gives us ideas of a band to bring to campus,” Lewis said. “We give [the band] an offer and talk with the group members of NAE about who is good to bring and what we think will interest students.”
When asked about what she liked about being in NAE, pre-med exchange student Kathrine Knarvik said, “It’s a fun time and you get to meet artists.”
Promoting Aer on campus has been everywhere, whether it be with posters or radio advertisements and even YouTube advertisements. Chalk messages plastered NMU sidewalks until snow covered the ground on Wednesday, March 25. NAE was also stationed in the ticket booth in John X Jamrich Hall on Tuesday, March 24 giving away free Simply Superior pizza and candy to promote the event.
“There’s been a lot of people so far,” said Josie Goddard, a junior public relations major standing outside the ticket booth handing out flyers. She added that it was the first time NAE has promoted a band in the booth.
According to Dani Anderson, a freshman elementary education major, her favorite part about promoting for Aer is “seeing people seeing posters as I put them up and saying they’re going to it.”
NAE hopes to sell many tickets, and Paquet also added, “The spirit of promoting Aer comes with supporting them coming to campus.”
The opening act for Aer will be a local band called Not Quite Canada, according to an NAE press release. The band has already made a name for themselves in Marquette playing at several bars such as the 906 Sports Bar, the Ore Dock Brewing Company and the Wooden Nickel, among others. However, the press release states that being an opening act for Aer will allow “students and community members under 21 a chance to experience a taste of Marquette’s local music scene.”
Tickets for the concert are $15 for students and $20 for the public.
