All 32 jan 2016 issuu by Watus Kirby

PLUS: MORE HOT ACTS FROM THE LAST 25 YEARS

PUBLISHER

BYSTANDER INTERVENTION

CULTivation

RCA Nominees

A Preview Of The Feature Story For March and IdentifyingThe Market’s Most Distinguished Artists.

Are you up to the task of stepping in when you feel your friend(s) is about to be compromised?

Spanky is at it again. Let’s be clear, this column is not about cults but cult movies, many of which will always be close to our hearts.

THE BEST ARTIST IN THE LAST 25 YEARS Check Out Page 4 For The Candidates For This Prestigious Honor

For 25 years we have given you the chance each year to vote on the Best of The Best the market has to Offer. Don’t hesitate, because voting ends March 1, 2016 at 11:59 pm.

IT’S ALL INSIDE

From the Publisher .....................4 Real Life........................................6 Spanky...........................................8

RCA Nominees.............................9 The Hottest Acts From 25 Years, Volume #3........................18

PLEASE VISIT OUR ADVERTISERS. THEY CONTRIBUTE SO THAT YOU MIGHT RECEIVE THIS MAGAZINE IN PRINT AND ONLINE.

Who Is The BEST Campus Artist In The Last 25 Years?

In March of this year, you will have a chance to look at who we chose for this distinguished honor.

First we established the criteria that the artists for consideration had to have a career that spanded at least 20 of the last 25 years. Most of the ones we

selected to compete more than adequately fit the bill for that deserving quality. Secondly, they had to have had a better than average score from colleges they played on our Artist Report Cards. Third, they had to be relevant and playing colleges regularly today. Next are our choices for this honor:

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TOM DeLUCA: Tom has been amazing students for far more than 25 years. His shows are widely acclaimed and still draw large crowds. He is the one hypnotist that other hypnotists want to be like. Students line up in advance to be part of the fun and his performance always delivers the goods.

CRAIG KARGES: For more than 25 years, Craig has been the delight of programmers everywhere. I worked designing ads for Craig when I was at NACA back in the 1980s. He is passionate about the campus market and schools line up to www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

consume the dates available to them each and every year. His show has remained fresh and his report cards have been stellar. He was Inducted into The National Campus Hall of Fame and won Entertainer of The Year FOUR different times so far with Campus Activities Magazine and CHRIS CARTER has been featured more than market for well over 25 years, any other artist. has been a mind-freak type of attraction. He is incredibly easy to work with and enjoys entertaining students. His reviews on the artist reports are also stellar ranking in the top 10% of all artists being reviewed. JASON LeVASSEUR: Early onJason was involved as one of a two man music machine called “Life In General.” They were a DEL SUGGS: Del is a force in the market during the singer/songwriter turned 1990s but he eventually develspeaker and honestly has done a spectacular job in both phases of his career. Like Karges, Del is also a distinguished member of The National Campus Hall of Fame. He is not only a spirited entertainment professional but he desperately cares about student programming and the schools with which he works. Likewise, his artist reports have been stellar over the years and he is a mainstay in the campus market.

CHRISTOPHER CARTER:Chris Carter has had a life long commitment to the college market. While like Karges, he is in other markets, he continues to be very relevant to college students and a multi-talented entertainer. While he also has skills in hypnotism, his show for the college www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

JASON LeVASSEUR

oped his own show and played to hundreds if not thousands of campus events. Known by everyone as a friendly “good ole boy,” his songs took on the feeling of having fun to personal at times. As of late, Jason too has become involved in speaking to students- and who better? For 25 years he has been the guy who entertained them and talked with them back stage. He has now endured in two distinct categories of campus life.

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The Power of Bystander Intervention: You Can Make A Difference!

With the increase of sexual assault awareness and prevention on college campuses you might have heard the term bystander intervention. We can all step in to prevent sexual assault and keep each other safe in other situations. With alcohol consumption you can keep people out of harm’s way. In regards to sexual assault, you can prevent a friend from experiencing the psychological scars that occur from such attacks or you can prevent a friend from having charges pressed against them.

How many times have you have been at a party and you see someone who is wasted and another person is checking them out, almost preying on them? Eventually that person leads the wasted individual out of the room. Now what are most of the people thinking? They’re getting lucky! We need to look at this differently; that person’s so wasted, they can’t give consent! You want to break this up; it takes a little finesse. Gather a few people together and advise them of the situation. Then divide and conquer. A couple people are going to go over to the potential perpetrator well before the victim is led out. They should strike up a casual conversation for the sake of distracting him. Meanwhile the rest of the

So what does bystander intervention look like? First of all, if everyone is wasted at a party, who can look out for one another? As alcohol floods the brain, people lose their ability to hone in on social cues and they lose their instincts. It can start with designating people who will pledge to be spotters for the evening. They are not going to drink.

These spotters should step in when people are drinking too much and tell that person that it’s time to switch to water, or they should take the keys away from someone so they will not harm themselves or innocent people on the road. They should not leave someone alone who is drunk. People can wander off and get hurt, or pass out and choke on their vomit, or die from alcohol poisoning. If a person is really disruptive or getting violent they should be escorted out and taken to safe place.

What is the connection of alcohol to sexual assault? In 80 to 90 percent of the cases one or both of the people are under the influence. There are certain things to look for at a party that indicates something is headed in the wrong direction. First of all, the number one weapon of a sexual offender is alcohol. If you see someone who is feeding another person drinks to get them plastered, step in.

group will go over to the potential victim and take her to a safe place.

Read your friends’ body language. You might see someone who is cornered by another individual. You can tell by the look on their face that they are not comfortable or happy to be there. Go over to them and use that little white lie, “You know what? I have been meaning to tell you something all day but I keep forgetting.” Grab them by the hand and rescue them.

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If you see a friend leading a drunken person out of the room, go to them and tell them that it is not cool. Let them know that they are setting themselves up for accusations of incapacitated sexual assault. They might thank you later!

Peer mediation and intervention is powerful and effective. It has been noted that students respond better to their peers than they do to adults. There are certain character traits that could send up a red flag that a person might be a potential sexual offender. You want to call them out on their behavior! Here is a list of some of those traits: • They treat people like sexual objects, “Hey baby, looking good today!” • They brag about how many people they’ve had sex with.They purposefully feed someone drinks. • They invade someone’s personal body space, immediately touching them. • They accuse a person of being uptight or prudish. • They look distracted and don’t pay attention to the person they’re talking to. • Look for upperclassmen who are trying to get the freshmen girls to a party. They’re often set up to have sex.

If you observe any of these behaviors talk to that person and express your concerns for them. Tell them that you don’t want them to get into a life-altering situation. Tell them that it’s not right; we need to have the integrity to do the right thing and not harm others. Go to parties together, stay together, and leave together. Keep an eye out for one another and keep each other safe. You have created a family on your campus; you owe this to your friends!

Got a question or a topic you want Elaine to discuss in this column? Contact her at: info@elainepasqua.com www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

CULTivation

Dead.” More recently I became ordained as a Dudeist Priest in the Church of the Latter-Day Dude, because what is not to like about “The Big Lebowski?”

The definition of a “Cult” according to Webster’s, actually Merriam-Webster (Where did Merriam come from? Perhaps the same place that Roebuck of Sears & Roebuck went to.) is as follows:

My research for this column got me to wondering if, as Merriam and Webster say, a cult is group of supporters with a group mind set devoted to a person, then surely there must be cult comedians. Of all the performing arts I believe humor is the most subjective; what one person finds appealing another finds appalling. For example, the group thinking of the audience of Bill Mahar would certainly not enjoy the comedy of Dennis Miller, or vice versa.

cult noun \ 'kət \ : a small group of very devoted supporters or fans with great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (as a film or book) I believe we could add music to that definition, since the bands that have cult followings actually give them names: The Grateful Dead has “Deadheads,” Phish has “Phans,” Kiss has “Kiss Army,” Jimmy Buffet has “Parrotheads,” and Insane Clown Posse has “Juggalos & Juggalettes.” The term “cult film” first appeared in 1970 to describe the culture that surrounded underground films and midnight movies that were in opposition to mainstream tastes. Or as media historian Jeffrey Sconce put it, “marginal films that exist outside critical and cultural acceptance.” Often these films open as box office bombs and take a long while to develop a following.

My grandmother just stopped by my writing desk to ask what I was writing this month’s column about. I replied “Cult movies.” She said, “Oh, you mean the movie about that cult Tom Cruise is in?” I explained to her that a cult movie is not a movie about cults, but unfortunately she had not heard of any of the films I used as examples. Until I mentioned “The Wizard Of Oz,” the grandaddy of cult movies. (If you don’t believe “The Wizard Of Oz” has a cult following you obviously have never attended a Pride Parade.) The movie did not open to cultural acceptance; it was MGM’s most expensive production of all time, and the movie initially recorded a loss of $1,145,000 for the studio, not turning a profit until ten years later. Nor did the film find universal critical acceptance. Russell Maloney, film critic for The New Yorker, wrote that the movie displayed "no trace of imagination, good taste, or ingenuity" and declared it "a stinkeroo.” But the movie got the last laugh on Maloney later that year by winning three Academy Awards for Best Score, Best Song (Over The Rainbow), and Best Performance by a Juvenile (Judy Garland), as well as garnering four more nominations for Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Special Effects, and even Best Picture (losing to “Gone With The Wind” which was also directed by Victor Fleming, who obviously had a very good year!) The movie is now listed on more “100 Greatest Films” lists than I have room in this column to mention. More importantly, in 1956 it started being broadcast annually on television, mak-

ing it the most viewed motion picture in TV syndication. Stinkaroo my ass.

Of course “The Wizard Of Oz” is not the only movie that is televised annually to a devoted audience; what would Christmas be without “It’s A Wonderful Life,” “Miracle On 34th Street,” and more recently “A Christmas Story?” But it is the only movie I am aware of that that is paired with Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side Of The Moon” to create the party entertainment “Dark Side Of The Rainbow” (a cultural phenomenon the members of Pink Floyd insist happened by pure coincidence).

The very first cult movie I witnessed in a theater was a midnight showing of “Harold and Maude,” whose ultimate May-December romance (actually closer to January-December romance) was definitely in opposition to mainstream tastes. The film was so unique that I would still list it in my top 10 favorite movies. It also made me a fan of an activity closely associated with cult films, the Midnight Movie. The next one I attended was a film that is still going strong after forty years, the longest running theatrical release in history, making it the undisputed king of cult movies, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

My first exposure to Tim Curry’s performance as the “sweet transvestite from transsexual Transylvania,” Dr. Frank N. Furter made a profound impression on me (although perhaps an even bigger impact on Bruce Jenner) as did my first exposure to audience participation at a movie. We were not just being entertained by a film, we were entertaining each other during a film, a creative fusion of live and recorded entertainment.

My foray into cult films continued with the “so bad it is good” genre with “Plan 9 From Outer Space” and “Troll 2.” The ultra disturbing movies like “Pink Flamingos,” “Eraserhead,” and “Freaks.” As well as the over the top violent films like “Toxic Avenger” and “Evil

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During my comedy career I was able to develop faithful followings in a variety of locations: Colorado, Hawaii, the Caribbean Islands, the Pacific Northwest, and Amsterdam. My agent pointed out what all these places have in common, an abundance of stoners; I however am not sure if that fully explains my popularity there. I am sure that I perform a character act, and my comedic persona appeals to those who enjoy a twisted irreverent point of view (which my agent pointed out most tokers have). Although I am aware of the limitations of my appeal, I confess there have been times when my agent waved a check so big that I agreed to perform for an audience I knew I was not suitable for. I regret I allowed my greed to supplant my artistic integrity, and tailored my material to fit a point of view I did not fully share. Or worse, did material I knew risked not being well received. (I had to write an apology to a Catholic college for asking “So if you don’t get condoms here, what do they give you, calendars?”) The greatest example of my comedy not being a good fit with the audience came as a total surprise to me; I was hired by a resort to perform for 300 people, and once on stage I realized none of them spoke a word of English. Why they did not hire a juggler or magician I will never know. If you are considering a career as a comedian or a filmmaker, I encourage you to chase your dreams, and foremost to be yourself. If you happen to appeal to the mainstream, great. If you don’t, just hang on until you find your audience. In the immortal words of Dr. Frank N. Furter, “Don’t dream it, be it.”

Steven Kent McFarlin (AKA “Spanky”) has been described by the press as a “campus entertainment icon.” He has been voted “Campus Comic of the Year” and the “Campus Performer of the Year” (LaffGuru.com). His credits include over fifty TV appearances, including: Showtime, Good Morning America, and The Late Show. You may contact him at standupcomic@live.com.

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

This year ALL voting must be done online. Simply go to our website at campusactivitiesmagazine.com and click on the “VOTE HERE” section on our homepage to be taken to the official ballot. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO VOTE IN EVERY CATEGORY. If there are artists that you are unfamiliar with, skip that section and go to the next category. ONLY ARTISTS AND AGENCIES may vote for Campus Of The Year. ONLY CAMPUS BUYERS may vote for Agency Of The Year. DEADLINE FOR VOTING IS 11:59 PM MARCH 1, 2016

MARC LA MOTTE: A former Assist. Director with the Univ of Georgia, Marc grew up in Pensacola, Florida. He started doing stand-up in college but stepped away from the stage after graduation to work as a university advisor. Armed with unique charm and generally ridiculous outlook on life, Marc’s comedy career is catching people's attention. He Incorporates real-life stories with entertaining physical humor.

THE MIDDLE GROUND: Now residing in Nashville, The Middle Ground emerged on the Milwaukee scene in 2013 as The Joe Neary Band and quickly gained popularity with their alternative pop sound. From coffee houses to festivals, they’ve booked over 40 college shows this past year. They received the 2014 Wisconsin Area Music Industry Award for New Artist of the Year, releasing their self-titled EP last fall.

MITCH CLARK: Mitch Clark was not a musician growing up; he was a golfer. In college, the golf program recruiter gave him an old guitar, and since that day Mitch’s life has taken a huge turn to music. His college debut in January 2014 marked the beginning of Mitch becoming one of the most booked artists on the college scene, having been booked at 87 colleges to date.

XCLUSIVE: Raised by songwriters, Xclusive was first introduced to music through the classical piano, but soon took a keen interest in dance and by age seventeen had perfected his own freestyle form. Nowadays, Xclusive makes appearances on network television and tours college campuses, combining his talent as a dancer with a charming sense of humor.

GARY JOHNSON: Gary is a Highly-Interactive Entertainer who has shared the stage with dozens of multi-platinum groups, playing sold out venues. He has recorded and toured with former members of The Fray, Seether, Breaking Benjamin, Boston, and others. Gary has received rave reviews on his fully-interactive show which promotes overwhelming crowd participation.

KEVIN YEE: Kevin Yee and his original comedy songs have been making people laugh across America and beyond! He is a recovering Broadway chorus boy (MARY POPPINS, WICKED, and MAMMA MIA), and a former member of Quincy Jones’ boy band YOUTH ASYLUM. www.kevinyee.com

BLACK JEW DIALOGS: The Black-Jew Dialogues combines comedic sketches, improv, and audience participation to provide a fast- paced program. The show has been praised by CNN and the Boston Globe as an “eye opening and honest” dialogue about culture in America. The presenters play a myriad of characters taking the audience on a hysterical and poignant journey through many of our closest held beliefs (and misbeliefs).

BRAZILLIAN 2WINS: Recently featured on the cover of Campus Activities Magazine, the Brazilian 2wins continue to excite and captivate with their charismatic on-stage persona and high energy musical performances. Featuring a lead violin and ukulele, they are known internationally for their signature look and one-of-a-kind sound. Their ability to incorporate different genres is an unforgettable entertainment experience.

MITZI SINNOTT: Mitzi Sinnott blends performance and analysis in her keynote address. She uses art to spark conversations about the shadow of our legacy of race, class and violence in America. Her uniquely designed workshops and lectures provide the opportunity to explore elements of leadership, identity, diversity, and make realistic projections for the future.

CARLOS ANDRES GOMEZ: Plummeting graduation and employment rates and dire teen suicide statistics show that young males in our society are at a crisis point. Gómez seeks to reverse these alarming trends by sharing lessons about life, love, and vulnerability. Man Up galvanizes men— but also mothers, girlfriends, wives, and sisters—to rethink the way all men interact with women, deal with violence, handle fear, and express emotion.

EH 440: Eh440 is an award winning acappella group from Toronto. They have been honored with the Galaxie Rising Star Award and appeared on the hit show Dragons’ Den. They cover contemporary pop songs that everybody knows and loves but also focus on writing and arranging their own original material. They were named the #1 touring act of 2015 by Campus Activities Magazine, and were given a perfect score on Artist Reports!

DAN HENIG: Dan Henig is a creative musician and songwriter with a knack for storytelling. His musical style is a soulful blend of Pop and R&B, with lyrically driven melodies which are bound to stick with you long after you listen. Henig’s musical success is amplified on YouTube, where his cover videos have gotten him 98,000 subscribers and over 14.5 million views. .

BRAZILIAN 2WINS: Recently featured on the cover of Campus Activities Magazine, the Brazilian 2wins continue to excite and captivate with their charismatic on-stage persona and incredibly high energy musical performances. Featuring a lead violin and ukulele, they are known internationally for their signature look and one-of-a-kind sound. Their ability to incorporate different genres is an unforgettable entertainment experience.

NATALIE STOVALL: Whether it’s Natalie Stovall’s breathtaking vocals and larger-than-life stage presence, her band’s turbocharged, take-no prisoners live shows, or the collective unit’s barnstorming worldwide tours, Natalie Stovall and The Drive prove they are arena ready. A humble, charismatic entertainer with a trademark lion’s mane of big blonde hair, Natalie and her powerful vocals and sparkling fiddle leave audiences spellbound.

ELAINE PASQUA: Elaine ’s ability to connect and engage an audience with her infectious energy leaves students talking! Her entertaining, humorous, and uniquely interactive programs have motivated over half a million students nationwide to assess the life-altering consequences of high-risk drinking, sexual assault, and unprotected sex. A five-time nominee for Best Speaker of the Year, Elaine provides player development training for the NFL, several pro teams, and the NBA.

STAN PEARSON: Stan Pearson II, is a Speaker, Motivational Comedian, Host & Salsa Dancer. He travels the U.S. & different parts of the world entertaining, educating & engaging audiences whether he's showing them how to be the best version of themselves, how to find their sexy or how to Salsa dance. He is one of the most sought after Hosts & Speakers in the Country..

DEL SUGGS: It would be tough to find anyone in the College Market who has changed more lives than Del. His leadership and higher ed programs emphasize personal leadership skills, organizational techniques, and interpersonal skills in ways that truly empower student leaders. Del was the highest-rated speaker for 2015 in the Campus Activities magazine Artist Report Cards, and he was a finalist for “Best Speaker 2015” in the Campus Activities Magazine Readers' Poll

RON JONES, DIALOGUES IN DIVERSITY: In light of the current situations in this country, understanding diversity is even more important than ever. Ron Jones and crew do not have just one but multiple topics they can discuss with your students to help them understand and help them embrace the cultures and journeys of other ethnic origins. It is not only entertaining but a rewarding and learning experience. SEX SIGNALS: Sex Signals has become one of the most popular sexual assault prevention programs on college campuses through its unorthodox, humorfacilitated approach to examining our culture, sex, and the core issue of bystander intervention. A two-person team of highly-trained educators takes the audience on an interactive, relevant, and oftenhilarious exploration of beliefs, behaviors, and gender stereotypes related to dating and sexual interaction.

FRANGELA: Frances Callier and Angela V. Shelton are real life best friends who talk to each other all day long.

GIRLS FIGHT BACK: The GFB presentation is conducted by professionally trained speakers and self-defense instructors who explain how to live the unstoppable life you desire without fear, how to trust your intuition, how to address violence in social situations, and how to create a safer campus environment, . . . but, most importantly how to LIVE and LOVE your life in the process and know that YOU ARE WORTH

MIA JACKSON: Mia Jackson always wondered what would happen if she took her sense of humor to the stage. She tried it and people laughed!

Frangela was seen on Oprah’s “Funniest Stand Up’s in the Country”, they’re well known for razor sharp commentary on VH1’s Best Week Ever and the film He’s Just Not That Into You. They’re regular “Pop Cultural Pundits” on NBC’s The Today Show

Mia has appeared on Oxygen, TLC and is a Semi-Finalist on Season 9 of NBC's Last Comic Standing. Smart and versatile, Mia entertains all types of crowds.

STEVE HOFFSTETTER: Hofstetter, who has 30 million views on YouTube, is the host of “Finding Babe Ruth” (FOX Sports). Hofstetter was the host and producer of “Laughs” (FOX) and he has been on The Late Late Show and E! True Hollywood Story, Comics Unleashed, Comedy All-Stars, and more. He just filmed his second movie, and he's starring in a national JDate commercial.Boston.

JONATHAN BURNS: Described by The New York Times as "Extremely Funny" Jonathan Burns is one of the most in demand comedy acts in the country. He has brought his quirky antics to over 350 college campuses, The Tonight Show, The Late Show, The Late Late Show, and at theaters & festivals around the globe.

DANIEL MARTIN: At 24 years Daniel Martin has quickly become one of the most in-demand entertainers in the nation, recently winning "Campus Activities Magazine's Entertainer of the Year"! His high-energy fusion of insane magic, escapes and sarcastic improv consistently lead to standing ovations and record breaking crowds on campuses, theaters and celebrity events worldwide. His magic has been featured on NBC, CBS, WGN, VH1, Discovery, and more.

KAZUAL: Kazual is one of the hottest and freshest Acapella Troupes to hit the market!, Kazual’s sound is SMOOTH, RICH and REFINED. Blending beats with ballads, these guys bring an audience to their feet. With crowd-pleasing covers and original arrangements, Kazual is SERIOUS entertainment for everyone! Kazual blends harmonious styles and eclectic mixes with choreographed dance and dub-step.

CRAIG KARGES: "If you had to pick one artist that has been the most enduriung and spectacular in this market, it would be Craig Karges. Not only is his show mind-blowing but he is a genuinely nice person. With nearly three decades of experience entertaining and wowing students, his show has become more popular and more in demand than ever. He is constantly one of the most highly regarded acts in CAM’s Artist Report Cards.

JEFF DUNHAM: Jeff Dunham is an American ventriloquist, producer, and stand-up comedian who has also appeared on numerous television shows, including Late Show with David Letterman, Comedy Central Presents, The Tonight Show and Sonny With a Chance. He has six specials that run on Comedy Central. He has been featured on the cover of two Cameo Publications, Campus Activities Magazine and American Entertainment Magzine.

WILL CHAMPLIN: Born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, multiple Grammy Award-winning songwriter and “The Voice” Top 3 Finalist, singer Will Champlin holds his own among industry giants. A graduate of Berklee, this accomplished singer-songwriter and versatile multi-instrumentalist played on Michael Jackson’s record, toured extensively with legendary artists, has songs all over TV & movies, and writes with some of music’s biggest names.

JORDAN CARLOS: Jordan starred in MTV’s hit show, “I Just Want My Pants Back” and was seen on MTV’s monster hits “Guy Code, Girl Code and Guy Court”. He can be seen on Comedy Central’s “The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore”. He tours the country doing what he loves, stand up comedy.

CHRIS JAMISON: Chris Jamison went from studying musical theater as a kid to spending his college years playing marathon acoustic shows. He jumped at the opportunity to audition for the seventh season of NBC’s The Voice. With Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine as his coach, he finished third. Pharrell Williams claimed, “Chris Jamison to me was nothing short of magical!” Shortly after the show’s conclusion, Republic Records signed Chris.

AMY SCHUMER: Amy Schumer is an American stand-up comedian, writer, actress, and producer. She is the creator, co-producer, co-writer and star of the sketch comedy series Inside Amy Schumer, which has been airing on Comedy Central since 2013. Inside Amy Schumer has received a Peabody Award and Schumer has been nominated for five Primetime Emmy Awards for her work on the series, winning for Outstanding Variety Sketch Series in 2015. ROB HAZE: Rob Haze is a comedian from Atlanta, Georgia, he started the year off with a bang by being seen on the 2015 season of Last Comic Standing and was also the 2015 winner of the Laughing Skull Comedy Festival. Rob was named by Creative Loafing one of the 25 people to watch in 2015. Rob performed on the NBC College Tour.

MAT FRANCO: Mat has developed a unique performance style that blends college humor with shocking magic. He is recognized for creating interactive presentations for his audiences that allow for spontaneity and improvisation. In early 2014, Mat decided to enter NBC's America's Got Talent competition. Competing against a wide variety of the country's top talent, Mat emerged as the first magician to win the show's top spot.

THE MIDDLE GROUND: Now residing in Nashville, The Middle Ground emerged on the Milwaukee music scene in 2013 as The Joe Neary Band and quickly gained popularity with their alternative pop sound. From coffee houses to festivals, they’ve booked over 40 college shows this past year. They received the 2014 Wisconsin Area Music Industry Award for New Artist of the Year, releasing their self-titled EP last fall.

DAVE & ETHAN: Comedians Dave Ahdoot and Ethan Fixell have garnered over 9.5 million YouTube views with their videos about dating. As comedic romance experts, they have performed at over 300 schools, and have appeared on The Tonight Show, The Today Show, and they also have their very own show “Dave and Ethan: Lovemakers” on NBC’s Seeso. Check out their hilarious videos at : www.youtube.com/daveandethan JOHN CASSIDY: John Cassidy is a comedian, magician and Guinness World Record Holding Balloon Sculptor. He has been seen on numerous television programs including Late Night with Conan O’Brien, the Today Show, and Live with Regis & Kelly. John’s “Balloon Freak Show”, is unique with its own mixture of comedy, magic and “really weird things with balloons”. www.johncassidy.com MICHAEL KENT: There’s a reason Michael Kent has been named ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR by Campus Activities Magazine. Michael gives magic a facelift with irreverent comedy and satire. His unique style of performing magic has made him a FAVORITE in over 500 college campuses he’s visited. Michael has performed for audiences all over the globe – from Hollywood, California to US Troops serving overseas.

ERIC O’SHEA: Eric has been at the forefront of comedy appearing on NBC, ABC, Disney, VH-1, The Emmys and for the US Army. In 2007 He won Campus Activities Magazine’s Best Male Performer but is constantly in the spotlight being nominated for categories again and again. He is best known for his “Songs For Commercials” and his friend “Elmo.” He has performed on behalf of children’s charities MISSION IMPROVable: Mission IMPROVable is a four-man improv team with a unique style of short form improv. The 2013 Entertainers of the Year are one of the top-ranked traveling comedy companies in the country. This Chicago and Los Angeles based troupe has proven itself as a consistent presence in the college market. The members of Mission IMPROVable pretend to be secret comedy agents ready to take you on a laughing roller coaster.

ENDEAVOR ENTERTAINMENT: Endeavor Entertainment is a full service entertainment company providing all types of novelty shows for the college, corporate, and private party rental markets. Celebrating our 10 year anniversary in 2014, we are proud to bring such fun shows like mechanical bull, airbrush tattoos, casino nights, drive in movies, photo booths, and new for 2014 our Drop Zone Stunt Jump.

CEP, INC.: CEPis a National Award winning full service Novelty Variety Company specializing in, unique interactive entertainment and prides itself on being the Industry leader, like ‘Bongo Ball Mania’ and‘Intensity Game Show.’ The PEERS division knows how to make learning fun, educational and informative When your event counts, you can count on CEP to do it right!

RECORD-A-HIT: We celebrated our 29th anniversary in 2015. We take great pride in our fun, interactive attractions including the Iceless Skating Rink, Spot My Photos, Ultimate Laser Tag GLOW, Photo Cell Phone Cases, Street Signs, Game Hero and Open Photo Booth. Over 200 awesome attractions allow us to help with almost any event in any location nationwide. We are very grateful for the nomination!.

NEON ENTERTAINMENT: Neon Represents entertainers that have appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Saturday Night Live, Comedy Central, MTV, HBO, NBC and more.They also provide a number of interactive services from Games, to Novelty give-aways and special events. You will also find nationally known acts and speakers plus motivational team building opportunities.

H0ULA ENTERTAINMENT: Houla Entertainment is a national entertainment promotions and booking company that represents artists for any size college/corporate/private event. Having recently been awarded “Agency of the Year” at a college conference, Houla provides clients a personalized service with attention to detail and an unmatched depth/breadth of talented artists, including all genres of music, lecturers, variety, comedians and novelties.

JOHN CASSIDY: John Cassidy is a comedian, magician and Guinness World Record Holding Balloon Sculptor. He has been seen on numerous television programs including Late Night with Conan O’Brien, the Today Show, and Live with Regis & Kelly. John’s “Balloon Freak Show”, is unique with its own mixture of comedy, magic and “really weird things with balloons”. www.johncassidy.com

DANIEL MARTIN: Daniel Martin has become one of the most indemand entertainers, recently winning "Campus Activities Magazine's Entertainer of the Year"! His high-energy fusion of insane magic, escapes and sarcastic improv lead to standing ovations and record breaking crowds on campuses, theaters and celebrity events worldwide. His magic has been featured on NBC, CBS, WGN, VH1, Discovery, and more.

MICHAEL C ANTHONY: VH1 calls him the best stage hypnotist on the planet. he’s been seen on CBS, ABC, NBC & Fox. He’s the Official hypnotist of The Illusionists 2.o. Michael C. Anthony’s award winning show “Hypnotized” is a critically acclaimed hypnotic masterpiece that is considered the best of it’s kind in the world. You will be amazed as volunteers fall asleep at the snap of Michael’s finger and obey the most ridiculous commands.

MICHAEL KENT: There’s a reason Michael Kent has been named ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR by Campus Activities Magazine. Michael gives magic a facelift with irreverent comedy and satire. His unique style of performing magic has made him a FAVORITE in over 500 college campuses he’s visited. Michael has performed for audiences all over the globe – from Hollywood, California to US Troops serving overseas.

UNIV OF AKRON: The University of Akron has two program boards—The Zips Programming Network (ZPN) and Residence Hall Program Board (RHPB). These boards sponsor such activities as the 9:09 comedy series and 7:17 coffeehouse series, Homecoming, Sibs Saturday, two film series, novelty events, the Emerging Leaders program, diversity program series, bus trips, Casino Night, Akron’s Got Talent, and the Emerging Leaders program.

ILLINOIS WESLEYAN COL:IWU’s Activities Program encourages intellectual, social, recreational and moral development of students and student groups. The student programmers and technical crew provide activities, programs, services and resources that facilitate innovative entertainment options for all students. These efforts foster a safe and inclusive environment for informal associations and interactions among the campus community.

CALF UNIV OF PA:TT The programing board at California University of Pennsylvania is best described as being "the life of the party”. Our goal for SAB is to stand out to our student body in an enthusiastic way bringing them a wide variety of activities that everyone will enjoy. We always say “W.T.F.!?” Where’s the fun!?! We are the Fun!

AUGUSTANA COLLEGE: Augustana College Office of Student Life and Leadership serves as host to the Student Life Programming Board, Multicultural Programming Board, Greek Life, Leadership Academy and New Student Orientation. More than 150 student leaders collaborate to produce 300 programs per year designed to promote student learning and engagement. Students describe their experience as empowering, challenging and rewarding.

SHIPPENSBURG UNIV: The Ceddia Union Building (CUB) , occupied in 1971 serves as the center for most non academic university functions and as an extension to the university as a whole. A major addition was completed in 1992. In December 2012 another major renovation was completed and event spaces for activities are at the CUB and it is known as the “students’ building.”

BASS/SCHULER ENTERTAINMENT BSE works with hundreds of colleges and universities around the country. Award-winning acts and establishing strong working relationships has made Bass/Schuler “Agency of the Year” in Campus Activities Magazine numerous times, including 2014. They are thankful for the support over the years and look forward to continuing their working relationships in the future!

SOPHIE K ENTERTAINMENT. Sophie K is a full-service agency meeting the needs of colleges/universities, corporate events, festivals and clubs. We’ve been working with stand-up comedians, bands and variety artists on the college market for 16 years and have developed some wonderful long lasting relationships. We’re thrilled to be nominated. We sincerely appreciate it and we appreciate your business even more.

FRESH VARIETY: Fresh Variety specializes in Comedic & Audience Interactive performances that are always a favorite on campuses around the country and on stages across the globe. We pride ourselves on fair pricing for the highest quality acts. We thank those of you who we have worked with over the past decade and can't wait to keep making your students laugh! METROPOLIS MGMT: Metropolis Management is a full service music and entertainment company with over 15 years of impeccable service developing and providing premier talent globally. They have one of the most diverse rosters in the market. All of their staff and artists work hard to provide schools with one of a kind service and experiences on their campuses.

H0ULA ENTERTAINMENT: Houla Entertainment, named after our rescued CataHOULA Leopard dog, is one of the fastest growing agencies in the nation. We represent national and international music acts as well as novelty acts. While maintaining personalized service, we offer our talent in the college market, fairs, festivals, cruise lines, corporate events, performing arts centers, and casinos. We also provide middle talent buying.

SAILESH: With more than 15 years under his belt, SAILESH, has performed at a staggering 400+ Colleges and Universities, many with repeat bookings. He is the most sought after hypnotist and variety performer for Orientations, Family Weekends, Spring Festivals and Late Night Events. Dubbed “The World’s Best Hypnotist”, his live show is a cross between a concert and the best party ever! JOHN CASSIDY: John Cassidy is a comedian, magician and Guinness World Record Holding Balloon Sculptor. He has been seen on numerous television programs including Late Night with Conan O’Brien, the Today Show, and Live with Regis & Kelly. John’s “Balloon Freak Show”, is unique with its own mixture of comedy, magic and “really weird things with balloons”. www.johncassidy.com JONATHAN BURNS: Described by The New York Times as "Extremely Funny" Jonathan Burns is one of the most in demand comedy acts in the country. He has brought his quirky antics to over 350 college campuses, The Tonight Show, The Late Show, The Late Late Show, and at theaters & festivals around the globe.

CHRISTOPHER CARTER: Christopher Carter has been called the world’s greatest mind reader. But he’s not psychic. He’s just in the business of freaking people out. With well over 2000 campus performances to his credit, and numerous past Reader’s Choice awards under his belt, Christopher is one of the most sought after entertainers in the campus market. In his words, he does “anything that is weird, freaky or cool.” CRAIG KARGES: "If you had to pick one artist that has been the most enduriung and spectacular in this market, it would be Craig Karges. Not only is his show mind-blowing but he is a genuinely nice person. With nearly three decades of experience entertaining and wowing students, his show has become more popular and more in demand than ever. He is constantly one of the most highly regarded acts in CAM’s Artist Report Cards.

JAVIER COLON::After Winning NBC’s “The

Voice” in 2011, Javier’s life changed, but if you thought that the campus market would fade away for him, this couldn’t have been further tha the truth. The win made him more “in demand” for colleges than ever. He was hot before the show and now he was even hotter. Javier was not a new face in the campus market before the historic win. “ I feel indebited to the college community for embracing me before all of this happened. The campus market enabled me to take care of my family and I love touring schools.” His win included a contract with Universal Republic Records to cut his own album. Incredibly talented, humble and popular, Javier is a dream artist to work with and still reasonably available to work the college market. This was the chance to snag one hot property!

ALUMNI YEAR: 2011

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FALLOUT BOY: From the streets of Chicago to

The pages of Rolling Stone, FallOut Boy’s Softcore lyrics painted a picture of today’s youth. The band is made up of four guys and when we interviewed them, the median age came in around 23. Included were Paul Wentz (lyricist and bassist), Joe Trohman (guitarist), Andy Hurley (drummer) and their singer simply known as “Stump.” They had recently hit the #1 spot on MTV’s Total Request Live. The band was formed in Chicago from several different hard core bands, each member being spread between them. Because they originated form the midwest, the circumstances were somewhat differnt than if they had been from a major music scene like LA or NYC. But being removed from the center of the music universe helped them develop naturally, without undue influences, which turned them into what they were.

ALUMNI YEAR: 2005, 2015

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

RECYCLED PERCUSSION: Even before

BLUE MAN GROUP: If you are looking for the

ALUMNI YEAR: 2007

ALUMNI YEAR:2010

Justin Spencer and friends made a permanent home performing in Las Vegas, they made a reputation in the campus market for a show that was “all about the energy.” It was designed to be one of the most incredible shows to ever grace the campus stage and any college that ever hosted this event would tell you it was nothing less than awesome. Making music from an assortment of power tools, scuba tanks, barrels, step ladders and even the kitchen sink, this group takes average garbage clutter and brings the audience to their feet. They leap on stage carrying nothing but drum sticks, to wearing crash helmets and they proceed to bash, bang and hammer everything in site in a frenzied fantastic beat. Recycle delivers what Spencer calls “A Mayhem Show” and the audience is bouncing off their seats. They Kick Butt! www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

one show you will never forget, this is it! In the annals of prformance, surely no act has made such a resounding impact on popular culture as The Blue Man Group. Perhaps only Cirque du Soleil rivals the show in terms of popularity, but the quirky innovation of Blue Man Group is indefinably incomparable. Marc Roberts is an experienced performer with BMG and as one of the cast featured in the Las Vegas show at the Venetian; he has countless shows under his belt. Though the Blue Men traditionally assume the posture of the inquisitive mute, Marc broke that oath to talk with us to give readers an inside look at one of the world’s most popular attractions and we get a look at the stationary show and the touring show, both of which are highly regarded by fans and entertainers alike...production masterpeice.

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JUSTIN KREDIBLE: There are only two acts who

LAST COMIC STANDING: This NBC show

ALUMNI YEAR: 2007,2009

ALUMNI YEAR: 2003

have the distinct honor of winning Entertainer of the Year FOUR times. Craig Karges and Justin Wilman (aka Justin Kredible). In 2009, Justin had won the coveted title of Entertainer of the Year at age 28 and over half of the years he had been in the campus market. Justin exuded the dominant requiurements for success: Incredible talent, rapport with his audiences, meticulous attention to detail and the desire and capability to really listen to his fans. “ I love what I do so much and I love the people I get to meet. The audiences that come out make me feel like I have such a cool community of magic fans. I like to cultivate that community and make sure they come and see me when I am back in town. I just think it is important to keep in touch with your supporters and build a sort of database of love. Colleges hire us to come out and entertain their crowds but the way I look at it is that I really want to make the most of the time I have in front of people.” 20, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE®, BALLOT ISSUE 2016

that was developed by legendary college comic, Jay Mohr and his agent, Barry Katz was an instant success in 2003 and of course, it went on to be a campus tour booked by Katz’s company, New York Entertainment. But the show got good ratings and Jay Mohr came off as the ideal host and executive producer. In fact, it may have been the hottest summer replacement show the networks had in 2003. If you have been around the college market for some time during those years, you would not have been surprised to see some of the top campus talent on the show, namely, Tess (9 years in comedy), Rich Vos(19 years in comedy), Ralphie May (14 years in comedy) and others. But Dat Phan came out on top in the first year. With only a little over 2 year in comedy he told us “We should be setting an example- not just funny but a person with integrity and tries to better our society. The funniest person in American should just be good.” www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

DANE COOK: He was funny. He was exciting. He was Comedy Central’s Newest Hunk and he was giving away TWENTY SHOWS in thirty days. Campus Activities Magazine® was fortunate enough to be the conduit for his “Tourgasm” tour and schools could apply to be included with the application in the August 2014 edition. “I was born with a sense of humor, but I learned a lot about making people laugh while growing up at home with my family. I was always humorous and funny as a kid, but I was also quiet and shy. My mom and dad were definitely funnier than me and I learned comedy from them and by watching their interaction with each other. I started studying stand-up comedy as I got older and was able to take whatever gift I had and hone it. When people compare me with Jim Carey, it is truly an honor, but at the same time, I am carving out my own niche and I am doing it my way being visual but not having the audience to actually have to see me to laugh.” ALUMNI YEAR: 2004

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

CHRISTOPHER CARTER: In 2005, Christopher

Carter scored the Ultimate Grand Slam. Not only did he win 2005 Entertainer of the Year, but Best Male Peformer and Best Live Novelty Act. He made his initial break in performing at a faculty wine and cheese party. “There was a member of the University of Michigan’s School of Music that was so impressed with what he saw, he invited me to emcee a program they were hosting”. Doing both campus and corporate shows, he really enjoys doing both. Chris explains that the wow factor of the physical manipulations he perfroms is part of the reason he loves doing campuses. “I typically go at colleges in a more casual manner. Everything has to be more buttoned up for corpoarte clients. Essentially, I am in the business of freaking people out.” He has made leaps and bounds in both markets, spreading the message of empowerment while freaking out college students nationwide.

ALUMNI YEAR: 2005

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PLAIN WHITE T’s: We got the scoop on this group from APA, just before they hit the top of the of the charts with “Hey There Delilah” and they became one of America’s Hottest Groups almost instantly... and the song still gets airplay today. Plain White T’s isn’t the newest bubble gum band to be thrown together by some fat cat producer - their roots go much deeper than that- all the way back to high school. Dave Tirio explained, “We are friends with a lot fo other bands in the market, so it was always cool to see each other’s successes. All of a sudden, “Hey There Delilah was at the number 1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 and The Adult 100 and the most downloaded song on iTunes in July 2007. Their audiences grew too. “We did a hometown show in Chicago last night and sold out to 6,000+ at an outdoor fair, A year ago we would have had a hard time selling out the Metro.” Their “Delilah” appeared on their first album and the song got an unexpected spike, so they included it in their upcoming album. ALUMNI YEAR: 2007

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SAFFIRE: The Uppity Blues Women are about as gen-

uine as any entertainers could possibly be but as members of Saffire, they are as different as night and day. Their voices and instruments blend with harmonious precision. Gaye Adegbalola was raised in a tight-knit Virginia family, She played the flute in high school and later became a biochemical researcher. She began taking guitar lessons from Ann Rabson in 1977. In 1984 Gaye and Ann formed the blues duo, Saffire. Anne was born in New York but grew up in Ohio and as a child began to play guitar. At the age of 18 she began playing professionally. In 1971 she moved to Virginia and met Gaye. In early 1980 she began playing piano and started playing gigs with Gaye. Andra Faye McIntosh is from Indianapolis. In the 6th grade she was proficient in guitar, violin and mandolin. When asked to sit in with Gaye and Ann, it ws if she had found a winning lottery ticket. She joined Saffire as a full member in 1992 and the Uppity Blues Women was complete.

ALUMNI YEAR: 1995

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

BLACK VIOLIN: During an interview with an act, we generally go out to schools as ask “which were the best acts your board has booked?” During 2009, Black Violin was unequivocally the choice of 4 out of 5 schools surveyed. Made up of Wil B and Kev Marcus, Black Violin is an act unto its own - not quite able to be dropped so conveniently into one popular mass genre, this act defines itself. “Black Violin is basically a fusion between classical music and hip-hop” says Wil B. But they can cover funk, jazz, pop, soul, R&B and who knows what else. “We represent good music, man. We always try to be professional when it comes to our music and our performances.” This is an act that realizes that being a good act means more than just going through the motions. “We do what it takes to make sure everyone has a great time...come to a Black Violin Concert and have a good time!” FYI ,Their first show was at a birthday party for rapper, Timbaland. ALUMNI YEAR: 2009

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

BO BURNHAM: When we had the chance to interview this 18-year old kid in 2009, he already had over 32.6 million hits on YouTube and was smokin’ hot. If you don’t mind a little raucous humor that raps on just about every one, Bo will have your audience rollin’. He started his career because he was bored in his room with nothing to do, so he decided to write some funny songs and video himself performing them. This launched a career that (judging by his talent) will last a lifetime. “I tried to teach myself piano and hacked my way through it and got pretty good. With guitar, I might know 10 chords and can fudge the rest. I like hip-hop because of some of the lyrics, but all the CDs I have are comedy. I lay down my jokes on some very basic melodies and tunes - nothing really revolutionary. Consider yourself warned! I’m offensive and creative- like handicapped porn. Now seven years after this interview, Bo is still in the news and churning out crazy songs.

ALUMNI YEAR: 2009

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THE SECOND CITY: Some of the most legendary comedians in history have come through the ranks of The Second City. For instance a few would be John & Jim Belushi, Bill Murray, Michael Myers, John Candy, Martin Short, Chris Farley, Shelley Berman, Linda Lavin, Valerie Harper, Gilda Radner, Joan Rivers, Betty Thomas and Shelley Long. But that’s only a snippet. The Second City is ALWAYS hilarious, original and daring and they often times take their new recruits out to the campus market because it gives them the best indication for success. Colleges understand good comedy - pure and simple and the act’s ability to relate to the audience. Don’t expect elaborate sets or long load in times. The show consists of six actors, a few chairs and unleashing some outstanding comedy. Founded December 16, 1959, The Second City’s success was instantaneous. Time Magazine calls Second City “The temple of sattire.” Chicagoans pack the place every night and it is the ‘must see’ attraction for visitors. ALUMNI YEAR: 2000

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JEFF DUNHAM: In 2009, Jeff Dunham was one of

the most popular shows to ever hit American audiences and Jeff is a fire that seems to constantly be getting brighter even seven years later. In 2009, he was on the verge of forming a campus tour. He had landed his own slot on Comedy Central and was toruing constantly all over the country with his hilarious cast of characters. Jeff is simply amazing and the interactiion between his “little friends” and himself is nothing short of a creative masterpiece. There aren’t many markets out there that appreciate comedy more than the college market and Jeff is probably as well-known among college students as any. “I started ventroquism when I was in the second grade - even doing shows. I kept up all the way through elementary school, through high school and college. I have been doing it pretty much my entire life. I move to LA a couple of years after graduating college in ‘88 and worked my way through clubs, corporate shows and colleges.”

ALUMNI YEAR: 2009

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

JOSH BLUE: In the summer of 2006, Last Comic

Standing had come down to three competitors: Ty Barnett, Chris Porter and Josh Blue. There were probably many reasons why Josh had the edge, beside of course, being funny as hell. “The humor has a lot to do with it. No one would even want to look at me if I weren’t funny, but I think my disability (Cerebal Palsy) certainly factors in and carries me quite a ways.” Combine this with the fact that Josh is a really nice guy and has some strange and unexplainable likability about him. There is something about this guy that makes you want to give him a big hug, once you regain your composure post-joke. In 2006, Josh had been doing comedy for about eight years. “I am not sure why I got into comedy. it was just sort of a gut instinct. I saw comics like Chris Rock and I felt like it was something I could do. Now Josh does shows in almost all major markets: campus, corporate and special events,

ALUMNI YEAR: 2006

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

VIRGIN COLLEGE MEGA TOUR: Since its inception in 2003, The Virgin College Mega Tour exploded on the youth scene, offering not only top bands but a total entertainment experience for any college venue. In 2006, the tour spanned 20 cities and was sponsored by Virgin, Dentyne and several other big supporters with the event split into two distinct sections. They put together an entire village at each location. There are not only promotional activities along with the show but well known activities like CD Karaoke and in 2005 they gave away a Pontiac Solstice. Since the theme was majoir league baseball, there were batting and pitching cages. When night falls, VCMT gears up for the major concert which in 2006 was Yellowcard. Because in addition to the press in Campus Activities Magazine©, they hooked up with CMJ to get college radio stations involved. The event usually requires 25003000 seats and is a national tour that covered all areas of the country. In 2006 they were going for more of a Warped Tour pop/punk sound. ALUMNI YEAR: 2006

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KEY & PEELE: Micahel Keegan Key and Jordan

Peele have landed into our pop cultural midst with an act that is not only phenomenally well-written and talented but very much in the right place at the right time. With bi-racial material being more relatable to American audiences than ever, the two have a natural spring to draw from and add their keen perceptions on many other important social issues such as gay marriage, urban life & culture, relationships, politics and more. You have the perfect storm. For what we need to drag out into the light and laugh at, Key & Peele are the perfect ringmasters. People have taken notice. The first episode drew 2.1 million viewers and the show was picked up for another season. Key & Peele became one of the main jewels in the Comedy Central Crown. Success has not gone to their heads, they have managed to stay incredibly humble and gracious. The Gersh Agency offered a special deal for campuses booking this show. If you missed out, shame on you!

ALUMNI YEAR: 2012

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DANIEL MARTIN: Daniel Martin is a force to be reckoned with and after being nominated four years in a row for National Entertainer of The Year, 2015 was the charm. His ratings this past year in the Artist Report Cards were off the charts, obviously pleasing campuses wherever he played. There are droves of entertainers floating around usingv the title “comedy magician.” Few of them can truly claim to be great at both. Daniel certainly is, getting equal parts laughs and gasps per minute at every performance. Not only is his show hilarious, it is amazing. His show is the perfect fit for the campus market because almost every element of his show involves the audience in some way you get an infusion of a stand-up performer and a top-shelf magician. This is material that students have never seen in the campus market, but no one else in the world is performing that effect so many schools actually book his show twice a year because he can do so many different things, He has a nearly 90% re-booking rate. ALUMNI YEAR: 2015

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

CAPITAL CITIES: Ryan Merchant and Sebu Simonian make up the frontmen of the group, but it has other live band components that bring it to life and give CC its very distinctive sound. “It was very grass roots from the start. We put ‘Safe & Sound’ out on the Internet and things took off like a rocket from there”, Ryan Merchant told us. Taking off means the song not only charted on Billboard’s U.S. Alternative Charts, it went to #1. Beyond perseverance and hard work though, a deeper sense of serenity emerges when one hears Ryan describe their view on the universe and all that’s in it. “I think we both have an outlook on the world that things are getting better. The average person’s life is better than it was 50, 100 or 200 years ago. The bombardment of various negative images we see when we focus on the media is misleading. Things just aren’t so bad. Perhaps it is a byproduct of our age, as we are a little bit older than your typical band when they land a hit single and a major record deal. I am 32 and Sabu is 34, so I think our world views have perhaps solidified a little more than younger bands. ALUMNI YEAR: 2013

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

fun: Nate Ruess, Andrew Dost and Jack Antonoff are fun - a group that many insiders in 2012 considered the best band in the world. Sometimes we get lucky. Sometime we crusade. Very rarely do we get to do both at the aame time. But in 2012 we got an exclusive chat with an act that is not only en fuego, but is doing something to change the world while they are at it. This campus tour was sponsored by Reverb, Ben & Jerry’s and The Ally Coalitiion. If they were only a one-hit wonder, the now epic “We Are Young” would be responsible for fun’s massive appeal. The YiouTube video in 2012 was over 143 million hits. It was featured on “Glee”, the the Chevy Superbowl commercial and then hit #1 on Billboard. It was the first single to log 300,00 in sales in just 7 consecutive weeks and certified 5x Platinum by the RIAA. But the infectous rhapsody “Some Nights” proved just how much staying oiwer they actually had already in the top 5 on Billboard and in commercials, movies and radio staion everywhere. ALUMNI YEAR: 2012

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TAYLOR SWIFT: Taylor Swift became one of coun-

try-pop’s brightest faces in 2006, when the then 16-yearold vocalist released her first album. Although new to the American public, Swift had been performing since early childhood, taking inspiration and encouragement from her opera-singing grandmother. She sang “The Star Spangled Banner” before the Philadelphia 76ers game at age 11; the following year she began practicing her guitar skills for several hours each day, only stoppong when her fingers began to bleed. Her parents realized their child’s dedication and began making regular visits to Nashville where Tayor would perform casually and meet with songwriters in the area. When the family decided to move to an out lying Nashville suburb, the reason was to accelerate Taylor’s career. While performing at the Bluebird Cafe, Swift caught the eye of music veteran Scott Borchetta, who signed her to his newly formed label, Big Machine Records where she released her first hit single “Tim McGraw.”

ALUMNI YEAR: 2009

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NATALIE STOVALL: After a few short years in the

market, Natalie Stovall took its highest honor: Entertainer of The Year for 2012. One of the most common comments about her is “I don’t even like country, but I like this country. It didn’t even seem like a country show.” Put it this way, when she rips “THe Devil Went Down To Georgia,” it’s in a medley with some Metallica. Hers is a show bred for wide audiences and this year that main stream popularity paid off with winning the BIG ONE. Exactly 4,349 school buyers voted in this category and Natalie took a staggering 38% of the votes.

With accolades like: “Have you ever seen Natalie perform? Once you see her, nobody else matters. Yes, she is THAT GOOD!!! Peace, . Love and Fiddle ,BABY”-ehanley @ students.gntc. edu

ALUMNI YEAR: 2012

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

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