Students stoked for ‘Seeing Sounds’ with N.E.R.D.

As underclassmen dread unpacking their belongings and upperclassmen cringe while buying their books once again, all can relax this weekend while ‘Seeing Sounds’ with N.E.R.D.

Union Board Concerts Director Caitlyn Kuhs said she hopes the show, presented by Indiana Memorial Union Board and the Residence Halls Association, draws a large crowd because all proceeds will support Make-A-Wish Foundation.

“I’m looking forward to hearing ‘Anti-Matter’ and ‘Everybody Nose,’” sophomore Jacob Isley said. “I’m a fan of their music and was really excited when the concert information popped on my highlights feed on Facebook.”

N.E.R.D., an acronym for No one Ever Really Dies, was formed in 2001 as an American rock, funk and hip-hop group that includes Neptunes members Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo along with their childhood friend Shay Haley.

Since then, N.E.R.D.’s success has spawned two gold albums, allowing them to work with performers such as Kanye West and Lenny Kravitz.

N.E.R.D. concluded the “Glow in the Dark” tour with Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco and Rihanna last year, releasing its latest album, “Seeing Sounds,” soon after.

The hip-hop and rock beats from “Seeing Sounds” such as singles “Everybody Nose (All the Girls Standing in the Line for the Bathroom)” and “Spaz” gave N.E.R.D. its highest career chart position at No. 7 on the Billboard 200, selling 80,000 copies in its first week.

Senior and Hip-Hop Congress member Doug Zawada said he also heard about the concert through Facebook.

“I’ve never seen them perform before, but I really like their beats,” he said.

Every year, the concerts committee looks for artists to perform during Welcome Week. Once the list is gathered, members collectively decide what artists fit best in their mission to have a successful concert.

“There is a huge difference between considering an artist and actually making progress toward bringing them here,” Kuhs said. “The only other artist that was seriously considering to the point of actually making progress was T-Pain.”

Union Board takes suggestions from students on what artists they would like to see perform in concert before compiling the list.

Last year, Union Board and RHA brought Grammy-winning rapper Lupe Fiasco to campus at the close of the “Glow in the Dark” tour.

“I regret that I missed the Lupe Fiasco concert last year because I like his music too,” Isley said. “However, I think this year’s concert will be even better because N.E.R.D. is by far more fun and original.”