UNC Charlotte’s first Spring Fest, presented by the Office of Student Activities, SGA, NOW and CAB, will be on Sunday, April 28.
This free event, scheduled for 3 to 9 p.m., will take place on the fields near the campus’ main entrance and near South Village (off University City Boulevard). It will feature an array of live music, including three hip hop performances in the afternoon from Shawn-E, HeebzStreet and Soul Khan. After a brief break with a live DJ, pop acoustic acts Andrew Ripp, Parachute will accompany Spring Fest headliner Andy Grammar.
A Los Angeles-based producer-singer-songwriter, Grammar began his musical career on the streets of Santa Monica and is known for a unique vocal style that incorporates elements of beatboxing and more traditional pop melodies. His debut video “Keep Your Head Up” topped iTunes charts in 2010, and his debut album sales earned him the No. 1 spot on the Billboard New Artist chart the week it was released.
Joining Grammar will be Parachute, a five-piece rock band from Charlottesville, Va. The group has released two full-length albums and three EPs since 2005 and has toured alongside internationally renowned artists including Michelle Branch, the Goo Goo Dolls, the All-American Rejects and Boys Like Girls. They also toured with Kelly Clarkson in 2009 and then again in 2010. Their music has been featured on TV programs such as “One Tree Hill,” “90210” and “Vampire Diaries.”
Beside music, Spring Fest will feature basketball games, bumper cars, inflatables, a mechanical bull, face painting, water balloon tosses, corn hole games and a pickup volleyball match. A “senior tent” will have corn hole boards and a fishbowl; students with valid University IDs will have the chance to win a custom-painted 49er corn hole set signed by a couple players from the inaugural 49er football team.