Beaver Stadium will turn blue and white with the annual spring football game on April 19, but before it does that, it'll get a little Fergalicious.
Grammy-winning recording artist Fergie is set to perform on April 18 in Beaver Stadium as part of the first-ever Gridiron Bash, according to www.gridironbash.com.
The bash, organized by MSL Sports and Entertainment, is a multi-campus event featuring concerts and entertainment at roughly 20 different Division-I universities across the country, according to a press release.
Tickets for the Penn State version are set to go on sale at 10 a.m. tomorrow and will be available through the university box office and the Gridiron Bash Web site.
In addition to the concerts, the press release states the events will also feature pep rallies, team introductions, autograph sessions and a fan component that allows fans to win money for their school's general scholarship fund. The Gridiron Bash will take place simultaneously at all participating schools on April 18.
While the Penn State version of the event will feature a performance by Fergie, other universities will host acts including Kelly Clarkson, Maroon 5, Dwight Yoakam and ZZ Top, which doesn't sit well with everybody.
"I feel like we're being cheated," Andrew Mineer (junior-history) said. "I'd much rather have ZZ Top."
According to the Gridiron Bash Web site, artists were chosen to play at differ-
ent universities based on their ties to the area. Why Fergie's humps fit in Happy Valley is difficult to say, but several students seemed indifferent toward the concert.
Mary Waechter (junior-kinesiology) said she liked Fergie's music and listens to just about anything but wasn't sure if she'd be attending this concert.
"I would go depending on the price," she said.
Billboard.biz cited MSL Sports and Entertainment President Shawn Garrity as saying tickets to the Gridiron Bash would cost a flat price of $35.
Waechter said that whether or not she goes to this particular show, she thought having big concerts at Beaver Stadium -- which is not typically a venue for shows in the area -- was a great idea.
"I think it would be really cool to have an outdoor concert like that," she said. "It would be pretty cool if they started having more outdoor shows at Beaver Stadium. I think it would be really popular."
Emily Toombs (freshman-division of undergraduate studies) said she was also waiting to see how much tickets would cost before committing to go.
"I'm not really a huge Fergie fan," Toombs said. "I don't really have an opinion in either direction."
Money isn't the only thing on which student attendance is contingent, either.
"I'll go if I can get a date," Adam Kocis (freshman-mechanical engineering) said.
Fergie's career began early as an original cast member of the children's television show "Kids Incorporated" in 1984. Fast-forward a few years, and she became the sole female member of the hip-hop group the Black Eyed Peas, which launched Fergie toward a solo career that notched three No. 1 hits on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
Neither MSL Sports and Entertainment nor a university spokesperson could be reached for comment by press time.
