Little 500 concert line-up kicks off tonight

Robbie Rivera

WHEN: 9 p.m. today
WHERE: The Bluebird Nightclub
MORE INFO: Tickets are $10 and available for purchase at the Bluebird Box Office or on ticketmaster.com, but women will be admitted for free before 11 p.m. Guests must be 21 or older.

Robbie Rivera, one of the original house music producers who broke into the scene in 2000, will play at the Bluebird Nightclub tonight for a 21-and-older crowd.

Because the concert is the only significant Little 500 act at a bar, it is the only show that won’t require a perfectly-timed pregame.

The Bluebird will sell 15-cent draft beers before 11 p.m. to keep the energy and the buzz alive.

George Karalexis, Rivera’s manager, said that because the tickets are the cheapest of all Little 500 concerts, there is no excuse for missing the show tonight.

Rivera will headline a show that will also feature electronic musicians PeaceTreaty and
Bassjackers.

“It is traditional for opening acts to play conservative to make the headliner sound even bigger and better,” Karalexis said. “But Robbie encourages all DJs to play their hearts out. It’s five hours of nonstop energy.”

Karalexis said this is the tour’s first stop in Indiana and could be its last. He said the tour is good for college campuses because of the acts’ high energy.

The concert is part of the Dance or Die Bus Tour, which is usually limited to big cities like New York, Chicago and Las Vegas.

GLOWfest, a college musical festival which has previously brought Pretty Lights, Dead Mau5 and LMFAO to campus, is the official sponsor of the concert.

Dancing Astronaut, a media partner of the event, has also been working with the Afrojack show.

— Michelle Sokol

Afrojack

WHEN: 4 to 10 p.m. Wednesday
WHERE: Memorial Stadium Parking Lot
MORE INFO: General admission tickets cost $40 and can be purchased before the event at the box office in Assembly Hall or online  through Ticketmaster.

The lighting and setting of the State of Emergency tour, featuring Afrojack, R3HAB and Shermanology, will make the concert the best of all Little 500 acts, said Mitchell Schoeneman, promoter and president of MES Production and Consulting.

He said Memorial Stadium will make for an unforgettable backdrop but will also amplify the sound of the disc jockeys.

“We’ve already discussed the possibility of rain,” he said. “We will lower the stage and move the lights back. People would embrace it if it would rain, it might even be better and crazier.”

Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Committee Entertainment, along with MES Production, will bring a “State of Emergency” to IU Wednesday for the concert.

Schoeneman said Committee contacted him about doing a show because he had worked with them in the past. He said he wanted to bring Afrojack to IU because he is one of the best DJs out right now.

The Dutch DJ, born Nick van de Wall, is famous for his 2010 song “Take Over Control” and his contributions to music by artists including Pitbull, Ne-Yo and Beyoncé. He headlined Lollapalooza 2011 and will perform at Coachella this Friday.

“He’s headlined all the major festivals,” Schoeneman said. “He’s got a lot of momentum behind him with all his new songs (and) production setups.”

David Solano and 3LAU will also perform Wednesday, with more special guests and surprises in store for the concert.

Junior Zach Silverberg, who is promoting the concert along with Schoeneman, said the show has a high production value with premium lighting.

“It’s just going to blow people away,” Silverberg. “We’re confident it will be the best Little Five show ever.”

— Kate Thacker

DJ Tiësto

WHEN: 4 p.m. Thursday
WHERE: Pic-A-Chic Farms, 6949 S. Rockport Road
MORE INFO: Tickets are $55 at the farm entrance and can be purchased online at bouncemusicfestival.com. Round-trip bus tickets are also available for purchase for $10.

From campus to city to life on the farm, popular electronic musician DJ Tiësto will perform April 19 at Pic-A-Chic Farms in preparation for the Little 500 races.

The other acts — Alesso, Tim Mason and Topher Jones — will help audience members embrace the country life.

“The production we’re about to bring to Bloomington is the biggest to come to the Midwest ever,” said sophomore Brandon Silverstein, Bounce Music Festival cofounder. “The experience will be unbelievable.”

Tiësto is visiting IU as part of Bounce Music Festival, an international touring music company. His experience ranges from a Grammy nomination to a performance at the 2004 Olympic opening ceremonies.

“He’s been in the game forever, so he basically has set the bar,” Silverstein said. “He’s a pioneer.”

Tiësto bounced onto the music scene in 1997 and cofounded Black Hole Recordings.
He is currently working to expand his global brand and has started a clothing line called CLVB LIFE.

The company has planned fireworks, lasers and an 80-foot stage for the performance.
“But I don’t want to give away everything,” Silverstein said. “Basically, I hope that this opportunity, by showcasing such insane production values, we can help put Bloomington on the global map for world-class talent.”

— Nona Tepper

Sublime with Rome

WHEN: 9:30 p.m. Friday
WHERE: IU Auditorium
MORE INFO: Tickets are still available and can be purchased from IUauditorium.com or ticketmaster.com. Prices range from $25.50 to $44.50.

By Friday evening, your body will probably be ready for a break from alcohol, and listening to reggae-rock at the Union Board-sponsored Sublime with Rome concert could be a welcome change of pace.

Although lead vocalist Bradley Nowell of the original lineup died in 1996 from heroin overdose, the new musical collaboration will perform many original Sublime songs and will maintain a similar sound to the original group.

The band might even encourage you to “Smoke Two Joints” in celebration of 4/20.
While most other Little 500 concerts fall within the electronic dance music genre, Sublime with Rome offers the student body a different kind of concert.

This concert will be the band’s first show back in the United States after several performances in Australia.

The Dirty Heads, a reggae band from California that includes hip-hop and punk undertones, will perform as the opening act.

“Sublime with Rome and the Dirty Heads are the only rock bands coming to IU for Little 500, and their music also heavily incorporates elements of reggae and hip-hop, two other popular genres,” said Brad Domash, public relations and marketing director for Union Board. “The show appeals to people of all ages and interests alike.”

This show is the only Little 500 act remaining that allows guests of all ages
to attend.

Union Board Concert Director Sam Schechtman said he expects Sublime with Rome to be the highlight of the Little 500 concerts.

“Sublime with Rome is a feel-good and upbeat band that will appeal to the majority of the students,” he said.

— Michelle Sokol