The show will be held in McGuirk Arena on March 15. Along with Atkins, country band Gloriana and artists Tyler Hilton and Jana Kramer will also perform.

Atkins first made his presence known on music charts with “Honesty (Write Me a List),” in 2003, and since released hit country songs “Take a Back Road,” “Watching You” and “If You’re Going Through Hell (Before The Devil Even Knows).”

Special guests Hilton and Kramer are known for their acting abilities as well as their music, and have appeared together on the television show “One Tree Hill,” among other television and movie roles.

Program Board President Paul Sullivan said the lack of country music performances at CMU in semesters past contributed to the artist selection.

“It’s a combination of the facts that we haven’t had a country singer in a while and there has been a demand for country shows,” the Allen Park senior said.

Sullivan said he has heard from many students that they have been waiting for a country artist to perform, so he expects fans of the genre to be excited for the show.

“I’m confident that it will be a great show and everyone who attends will really enjoy it,” Sullivan said.

Although Atkins is popular in the country music world, students doubt that his performance will be as well-attended as artists in the past.

“I don’t think he will be that big of a hit,” said Perry sophomore Cayley Higbee. “A rock or pop band would definitely be more successful. I haven’t even heard that Rodney Atkins was coming.”

Battle Creek sophomore Jazmine Price said her friends are excited for the show, but she isn’t interested in attending.

“Personally, I’m not excited at all, but I know some of my friends are crazy about him,” she said. “I think it’s good that they’re bringing him to campus though, because it’s important to appeal to everyone and bring a variety of artists.”

Tickets for the show will go on sale Feb. 8 at Ticket Central, located in the CMU Events Center. Ticket prices for the event range from $8 to $17.

“People who enjoy country music will enjoy the concert, I’m sure. I doubt attendance will be that high, though,” said Kalamazoo sophomore Bri Smith. “LMFAO was a better choice because it’s pop. That’s all you hear in the dorms. Everybody knows their songs. Country is a different story.”

Senior Reporter Catey Traylor contributed to this report. 

Cast members Ben Nemtin, Dave Lingwood and Duncan Penn came to campus Monday night to talk about their list of 100 things they want to do before they die, including making a TV show.

This became a reality for them in 2006 when they decided to take a two-week road trip across the country checking off items on their bucket list while helping others along the way. Through ups and downs, they eventually landed a TV deal with MTV.

“Our goal was to make a documentary,” Penn said. “We wanted to prove to people it’s possible (to accomplish their goals), and people helped us along the way, so we helped back.”

“We’ve completed the items by random, whichever ones are relevant at the time,” Lingwood said. “Our favorites are crashing a Playboy Mansion party and making a TV show.”

During their presentation they said Hugh Hefner was upset upon hearing of them crashing a party at his place. They had secretly filmed inside his house so they knew they had to come clean to him.

Upon making contact with Playboy public relations, they were told if they aired the footage, they would be sued. After sending Hefner a personal letter along with the video footage, he gave the okay to air the season one premiere episode.

At the end of their presentation they had audience members come up to a microphone and share what they want to do before they die. They also shared letters they’ve received from fans over the years.

Student reaction was positive, the audience laughed and clapped throughout the event at the cast’s antics.

“I was really excited,” Algonac sophomore Stacy Rix said. “Their whole presentation was really motivational and makes me want to go out and do things I want to do in life.”

Bloomfield Hills sophomore Chelsea Lord said winning a VIP pass to meet the cast was a chance of a lifetime.

“I had a rush of excitement and my face turned red,” Lord said. “They were super friendly, seemed down to earth and they’re all single.”

The free Program Board event, featuring cast members Ben Nemtin, Dave Lingwood, and brothers Jonnie and Duncan Penn from the MTV reality series, will be held in Warriner Hall’s Plachta Auditorium at 7 p.m. with doors opening at 6 p.m.

The idea for the show came about in 2006 when the group of friends created a list of 100 things they wanted do to before they died.

The cast signed a deal with MTV and aired its first season in January 2010. “The Buried Life” comes from the title of a poem written by Matthew Arnold in 1852. The cast attempts to complete tasks on their bucket lists while traveling the country and helping others along the way.

“It’s important they’re coming here because it reminds people everything they want to do in some way, shape or form is possible,” said Belleville sophomore Chelsea Davis.

Muskegon sophomore Katie Rummery said she was surprised, but pleased the cast was coming.

“I’m pretty surprised they’re coming, considering we’re not a Big Ten school,” Rummery said. “But I think it’s great they’re showing us our dreams are reachable, and even though they had a show on MTV, they’re still average people like us.”

Rothbury sophomore and Program Board Speaker Chairman Brandon Kieft said he wanted to bring a group to campus that would be appealing to students.

“To get ‘The Buried Life’ to come to Central Michigan University, I was actually approached by their agent,” Kieft said. “I basically receive a ton of information from agents about hundreds of potential speakers and I get to choose who I think would be interesting, creative (and) beneficial to the campus community.”

O’Brien was one of about 45 fans Monday night in the Bovee University Center Auditorium where Watsky performed his quickly-delivered poetry.

“I’ve been waiting a long time to see him,” O’Brien said.

Watsky, 24, is widely known for his “Pale Kid Raps Fast” video on YouTube which has received more than 8 million views.

O’Brien said the performance was as great as she thought it would be.

Program Board President Steve Lewis said the group saw Watsky perform at a conference in November and everybody seemed to like him.

“We figured that it would be something that students at CMU would (like) too,” the Allegan senior said.

Watsky is a recent graduate of Emerson College where he double majored in acting and screenwriting.

“The bulk of what I’ve been doing for the past three to four years is spoken word,” Watsky said.

Watsky said in stand-up comedy you push for a laugh every time you say something.

“When you’re doing spoken word you have the opportunity to be human,” he said.

Throughout the performance, Watsky spoke about everything from getting sick on a plane to the complaints of his 99-year-old Jewish grandmother.

Along with the comedic performance, Watsky got serious as he spoke on the subjects of his worldview, global warming and death.

Watsky said performing in front of college kids is one thing, but performing in front of an older crowd can be difficult.

“When I go to a crowd of people that are older than me, people who have seen a lot more of the world than me … it’s interesting to try to be that voice of wisdom,” he said.

Watsky said he has been writing more songs than poems in the past year. He sees an opportunity in music to do more than he is with poetry.

“With poetry, I kind of got as far as I could get with the avenues for exposure that are out there,” he said. “I want to reach a lot of people, and music is a great way of doing that.”

Watsky said the best bet for aspiring poets is just to write.

“Don’t second-guess yourself,” he said. “Learn from your mistakes, don’t be afraid that it’s not going to be well received.”

Swardson, who is well known as “Terry Bernadino,” the roller-skating male prostitute in Comedy Central’s “Reno 911!” will perform at 7 p.m. in McGuirk Arena, with doors opening at 6. The opening act has yet to be determined.

Program Board President Steve Lewis said tickets will go on sale Wednesday. They will be $15 for floor and lower bowl seats, $12 for upper bowl seats and $8 for seats in the bleachers.

The Allegan senior said Swardson was chosen as a result of a Facebook survey.

“He was the overwhelming favorite,” he said.

Lewis said the Program Board attempted to bring Swardson to perform on campus two years ago, but it never came to fruition.

He said he is excited to see Swardson perform and enjoyed the movies he has seen him perform in.

Program Board Vice President Crysta Heckman said Swardson sold out an event Michigan State University a few years ago.

“We’re hoping for a big turn out,” the Pinconning senior said. “We know more people are going to go to a concert than a comedy show, but we are expecting (3,000) to 4,000 people.”

Lapeer graduate student Brad Irvan enjoys Swardson’s comedy but he probably will not be able to attend the show.

“He definitely has some funny standup,” Irvan said. “Were it not for my financial situation, I would probably pay $15 to see him.”

Program Board President Steve Lewis said the hip-hop star, best known for her songs “Tik Tok” and “We R Who We R,” came with a $50,000 price tag. About 4,800 people filled the arena for the first big-name concert to christen CMU’s new Events Center.

Fans started lining up within the doors of the Events Center before 5 p.m. Friday for the sold-out show. By 6:30 p.m., when doors opened, the crowd was lined up out the doors nearly to the Student Activity Center.

By 8 p.m., almost all fans were into McGuirk Arena waiting for Ke$ha and her opening act Beardo to perform. Beardo hit the stage just after 8 p.m., and said it was a great show.

“It was the best show of the tour so far,” the singer/guitarist said while taking photos with fans after the show. “I love Michigan, it’s awesome. I’ll be back.

He added that the crowd was great and fun to play in front of, which is why decided to come out and meet with fans after the show.

Katie Wojewodo was unimpressed with Beardo, she said, though she did find him interesting.

“I wasn’t a fan,” the Caro freshman said. “He was just weird.”

But the reaction to Ke$ha was unanimous. With nearly every song the crowd sang and danced along, especially to the hits such as “Tik Tok” and “We R Who We R.”

Though Ke$ha did not do a ton of dancing, she didn’t have to do much. Her fans did the rest.

Utica senior Jessica Cates said the show was everything she wanted it to be and more.

“It was awesome. I danced my ass off,” Cates said. “Just like I planned. I even had a big dinner.”

She also said she really appreciates the attitude Ke$ha has behind her music.

Ke$ha fans decorated in glitter and costumes wait in anticipation as they wait for the "Get Sleazy" performance to begin Friday night in McGuirk Arena. An estimated 4,800 students and fans attended. (Photo by Perry Fish/Staff Photographer)

“I really applaud her no-nonsense approach to relationships,” she said.

Relationships seemed to be a common theme throughout the night for Ke$ha, who sparsely spoke between songs, but when she did, she was usually speaking about how that particular song was written about a guy.

Before playing “C U Next Tuesday” Ke$ha told the crowd, “This is a song I wrote … for a guy I was boning. Then I found how he had a girlfriend and dumped his ass.”

She barreled through an hour-long set and a 15-minute encore which featured “We R Who We R” and a cover of the Beastie Boys’ “Fight for Your Right.”

Beardo said he thought Ke$ha played great tonight. Ke$ha repeatedly told the crowd that she “loved them” and that she “hoped they were here to party.”

It was a party, at least for Cates, who said her favorite part of the concert was dancing as much as she did. She said she loved the party atmosphere.

VIP treatment

One of the biggest draws to the concert, Ke$ha aside, was a VIP lounge set up for students, Student Activity Coordinator Damon Brown said.

“We really wanted to students to have that chance to know what it’s like to be a VIP for a night,” he said.

Stan Shingles, assistant vice president of University Recreation, said he felt the same way and that he viewed the VIP section as an opportunity for students to just do something different than they normally would.

“It is a different kind of thing,” Singles said, “There aren’t just student leaders there, it is going to be a mix of everyone, it should really be an excellent time.”

Among the amenities offered to those in the VIP section were free food and drinks, and to be able to view the concert from the Upper Club Room.

Rochester junior Lydia Heins was one of the fans in the VIP lounge. She said she wasn’t originally planning on going, but was given VIP passes by a friend.

“I’m really excited,” Heins said. “I have never felt more important in my life.”

Hip-hop singer Ke$ha will be the first performer to play in Central Michigan University’s campus, along with her opening act Beardo.

CMU Program Board President Steve Lewis said the doors will open at 6 p.m. and that the show will begin at 8 p.m. The Allegan senior said he has heard positive reactions to Ke$ha’s trip to Mount Pleasant.

“There are people still asking for tickets,” he said. “It is sold out, but we have a few more to give away.”

He said once Program Board’s Facebook page has 1,700 “likes” two tickets will be given away and then two for every hundred more.

Manton graduate student Karlie Powell waited for more than 13 hours to buy her ticket when they went on sale in December.

“I am super pumped,” Powell said. “I really love Ke$ha’s music. It’s really feel-good, laid-back party music.”

She said she is most excited for the concert because the singer has called her shows “dance parties” and Powell said she’s ready to dance.

She also said she thinks Ke$ha is a great first act to bring to the Events Center’s McGuirk Arena.

“I think it is a really cool thing, it’s going to go down in history,” she said.

Student Activities Coordinator Damon Brown said it will be a great experience for students, and he was looking forward to see how they take it all in.

“This is going to be a great day for students,” Brown said. “To experience the first concert in the Events Center is something they will remember for the rest of their lives.”

Brown said the concert offers students an inexpensive way to enjoy mainstream talent.

There will also be a VIP section for select attendees in one of the arena’s suites with several luxuries.

“It is going to have free food, music and drinks,” Brown said. “It gives students the chance to feel what it’s like to be a VIP.”

Siena Heights University freshman Kiara Farrell-Starling said she will drive two-and-a-half hours from her hometown of Tipton to attend the show. She said she would have seen Ke$ha in Detroit, but thought coming to CMU would be a better experience.

“It’s going to be way more fun at Central,” Farrell-Starling said. “I could go to (Detroit) anytime, but I think because Central has that party school attitude, (Ke$ha and CMU) will flow well together. It’s going to be a ton of fun.”

Program Board brought Mahone to campus as part of his 86-college national tour. Program Board President Steve Lewis, an Allegan senior, said 55 people attended the event held in the Bovee University Center Rotunda.

Though the band is made up of six members, it is uncommon for all of them to be at any given performance. At Friday’s show, it was Mahone and bass guitarist, JP.

Mahone described his style as a soulful, funky groove version of pop. He “keeps it real” with songs he has written as well as his own versions of known songs.

“It’s not about trying to please people or gaining fame,” Mahone said. “I do music that I enjoy and is fitting to real life.”

Mahone maintained a casual conversation with the audience throughout his performance. He incorporated stories behind the songs he performed and background on his life. Remixes of classic Disney music and the theme song to “Full House” helped him win over his listeners.

Port Huron senior Amber Berish said she was amazed by Mahone’s entire show.

“I love how relatable he was,” Berish said. “The situations he described were real. I also loved his beatboxing and ability to do all the sounds himself.”

Mahone talked about his “Mix Tape Project,” a way of including his fans in his love of writing. The goal was to write 52 songs in 52 weeks and blog every part. In the end, fans would pick their favorites to make up the next album.

While he did not meet the goal, the project became an ongoing process. People can follow him via Twitter, Facebook and www.jaredmahone.com to become involved.

Coming from Columbus, Ohio and a family that has always been musically inclined, Mahone aims to represent where he comes from.

“We’re not a cover band and don’t aim to be,” Mahone said. “I’m from the Midwest and consider myself a guy that’s in the dead center of average. The beatboxing is my way of identifying with that culture and creating something out of nothing.”

Nathan Heath, a Harrison senior and self-made beatboxer, said he was impressed with Mahone’s talent.

“Everyone has their own style and I thoroughly enjoyed this show,” Heath said. “In my opinion, Jared is flawless, and a guy with that kind of caliber has a lot of talent.”

The audition for the competition, held on Tuesday, was an open sign-up and allowed anyone who was interested to perform at the show. Only six took the initiative to compete in front of the crowd.

Among them was Flint junior Judea Archie-Walker, who performed slam poetry and vocals, and later walked away with the first place prize, a $100 gift card to the CMU Bookstore.

“It feels good (to win),” she said. “I didn’t know the prize was $100, and I’m glad it’s to the bookstore, since books aren’t cheap.”

Judea also performs original poetry at the Word Hammer, a Registered Student Organization dedicated to slam poetry.

The competition was judged by five peer volunteers, who gave numerical scores between one and 10. The audience was able to either agree or disagree through applause and jeering.

At moments, the auditorium rang with howls of approval, which were followed by shakes of animated objection.

Tecumseh freshman Spencer Marr was excited to claim second place at the competition.

“I was more excited than anything,” he said in an e-mailed statement. “There is not a better feeling than sharing creative talent with other people especially when you nail it. My prize was great, I got a bookstore gift card for $25, which can buy me 1/8th of a book for next semester.”

The humble crowd had no trouble filling the large space with sound, but for a free event open to the public, the turnout was less than what some had expected.

“I was surprised at the turnout,” Archie-Walker said. “For a free event, I feel like more people should have been able to make it.”

Wayland freshman Joann Jeplawy, a competition judge, was also surprised by the numbers.

“Some of the advertising said (the show) was at nine, and some said it was at eight,” Jeplawy said. “We were nervous that people would show up after the show was over.”

Those who were present, however, got to enjoy several good performances, Archie-Walker said.

“It was some great talent,” she said.

The Blanks were often featured on the popular television comedy “Scrubs,” and one of their singers, Sam Lloyd, played the reoccurring character Ted Buckland. The free show is scheduled for 8 p.m. in Warriner Hall’s Plachta Auditorium.

“They are planning something big for this show,” said The Blanks’ manager Adam Sloat.

“This is a first. Have you seen ‘Avatar’?” he said. “If so, then you know a little bit of what to expect. Seriously, ‘Avatar.’ Think ‘Avatar’ big.”

Allegan junior Steve Lewis, president of Program Board, is excited for The Blanks’ arrival at Central Michigan University.

“We looked into them during the summer and they’re very relevant to the student body,” Lewis said, “so that’s why we asked them to come.”

Sloat said The Blanks are eager to visit the campus.

“The Blanks are coming to Central because you guys demanded it,” he said, “but who wouldn’t want to be a part of the Chippewa’s energy for a night.”

Sloat said they had a great eight years being featured on Scrubs, but now they are bigger and better than ever before with new material to share on Friday that goes beyond a cappella singing.

“The Blanks were the most popular choice when we did a poll on campus, so it should be a promising show,” said Bay City Sophomore Kasey McFarland, Program Board’s comedy chair.

Sloat said The Blanks combine vocals, talking toys and sketch comedy in a performance that “boggles the mind and will excite the senses.”

Rochester Hills freshman Miranda Sigelko is a “Scrubs” fan who is also looking forward to The Blanks’ show.

“It should be a really great show, especially if you like comedy and music,” Sigelko said.

The fun is not over after the show is done, though.

“After the show, the band will be selling merchandise and taking pictures with anyone who sticks around,” McFarland said.

BOB 1

If you go…

When: 8 p.m. Friday

Where: Plachta Auditorium

How much: Free