Andy Grammer will perform Saturday morning prior to the football game against the University of Pittsburgh, senior Bryan Dinner, Duke Student Government vice president for social culture, said Monday evening.
The concert—part of the DevilsGate tailgate program that began this year—will be held at Jack Coombs Field at 9 a.m. and will conclude by 11 a.m., allowing students to get to Wallace Wade Stadium in time for the game's kickoff at noon. Saturday's game will be the last home game of the season.
"We're very excited about having Andy Grammer," said sophomore John Makowiec, DSG special organizer. "He had a hit song over summer, he performs a lot of cover songs, which is always popular, and he's very engaging when he performs."
Pop singer Grammer—whose previous hit songs include "Honey, I'm Good," "Keep Your Head Up" and "Fine By Me"—recently performed the national anthem at the opening game of the 2015 World Series. The California native's most recent song, "Good to Be Alive," was released in August.
The concert is part of an initiative organized by the football team's marketing department in conjunction with DSG to increase undergraduate student attendance at football games. Chris Alston, director of football marketing and promotions, explained that the concert is only the beginning of an expanded attempt to get students to football games.
"Our goal is certainly to grow this and find a venue to accommodate more students," he said. "We want this to be a kickoff to bigger events going into next year."
Makowiec noted that the idea to hold a concert before the game came from the State University of New York at Buffalo, which has increased student interest and attendance at its football games by having concerts beforehand.
"We want this to be the start of a new tradition at Duke," he said.
Concert wristbands will be distributed to the first 3,300 undergraduate students—roughly half of the student body—between 9:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Nov. 11 and 12. Students will also receive tickets to the football game. Student groups will still be able to sign up for tents, as they would be able to do for any DevilsGate tailgate.
"It's something everyone should be excited for," Dinner said.
DevilsGate tailgate was revamped before the football season to increase student support for the football team, with the Last Day of Classes alcohol policy and a new procedure for groups to reserve tents being implemented to generate interest.
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