Eve 6 and Every Avenue will be this year’s opening acts for the fall semester when they perform on Aug. 24 at Rose Ponds.

The free concert will be the highlight of MAINstage 2008, which is held annually during welcome weekend.

Eve 6, an alternative-rock band from Los Angeles, is currently working on a new album and those who go to the show might get a sneak peek at some new songs.

They are best-known for their late-1990s hit “Inside Out,” which reached No. 28 on the U.S. Billboard charts.

“They are busy writing stuff and enjoying being out there with fans doing what they love,” said Charlie Davis, a representative for Eve 6.

Eve 6 returned in 2001when they reached No. 30 on the charts with their hit “Here’s to the Night.” They disbanded in 2004 and reunited in 2007 with two of their original three members. Max Collins is the lead vocalist.

Every Avenue, an alternative-rock band from Marysville, Mich., originated in 2003 and released their first full-length album, entitled “Shh. Just Go With It” in February 2008.

The selection

Program Board and On the Fly Productions team up to sponsor MAINstage.

“The event is a campus tradition that gets larger every year,” said Damon Brown, Program Board advisor and coordinator of student activities.

Students who are involved with Program Board and On the Fly sort through tapes of possible bands and talk to other schools to get ideas on which bands should come to campus. They also try to appeal to the majority of students by choosing a band or artist that is popular.

“The students listen to the radio to see what’s hot now and what’s going to be hot in August,” Brown said.

The groups try to relate to all genres of music by offering many concerts throughout the year.

“It’s hard to please 21,000 students; we give students a chance to listen to something different,” Brown said. “Even though they might not like Eve 6 or Every Avenue, they might walk away liking their music.”

MAINstage also serves as a way for students to relax before the first week of class.

“It’s a great opportunity to hang out and get comfortable with people you are living with and get excited for the school year,” said Kelsey Moran, Milan senior and vice president of Program Board.

Moran also believes that MAINstage is a good way for new students to get involved on campus.

“It gets freshmen out and meeting people and it helps them to be less nervous about the upcoming week,” she said.

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