Forgive me if this has already come out on this forum. I missed it if it did. I feel like we will probably have an official announcement coming next week.
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Forgive me if this has already come out on this forum. I missed it if it did. I feel like we will probably have an official announcement coming next week.
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#sauces
He's setting up shop in the Cassell lot.
Wonder why there...that seems like it would give people the least amount of space. Drillfield or Chicken Hill would work much better
Never read it here, but I did read on r/cfb that this Brad guy was doing a "surprise" concert the day before the game.
Not really sure how much of a surprise that it'll really be at this point, if true.
I empathize with Al Gore here.
*edited because empathy and emphasis are not the same thing, regardless of what my iPad thinks*
Haha, if it was brought up here I must've overlooked the thread.
I've been throwing out hints all summer. But no one takes me cereal... *sigh*
I saw this, was going to comment, but then thought you were just trying to make a joke a la Gore using cereal instead of serious in the clip and then...I'll just stop myself now. Way too much overthinking.
So oes this mean the concert is unofficially official?
That's officially the unofficial word from the officials.
Where's the concert going to be? Cassell?
I have no idea who Brad Paisley is. But if he's big and the concert is on the drill field I could get into it. Kind of like a Paul Simon in 1991 giving a free one in Central Park. Was there and dug it.
Central Park/The Drill Field all the same
Simon & Garfunkel reunion in Central Park in 1981 was my first concert.
Nothing is confirmed but I'm pretty sure the talks were that it would be on the drillfield.
Its going to be in the Cassel lot not on the drillfield.
In no way shape or form am I disputing this because i really have no idea, but why? This seems like such a strange spot for it.
I don't know if its actually the reason, but I remember the drill field getting kind of jacked up after the victorias secret concert on the drill field. Maybe they don't want to deal with that again
Keep talking officially about unofficial things and somebody's gonna get put on double secret probation
Meh, country. Let me know when Metallica does something like this...
Country is one of the top grossing and top listened to music genres.
At one point so were boy bands...
Just because its popular doesn't make it good
But just because you say it isn't good doesn't make it bad. I have never been to a city in America that doesn't have at least 1 country radio station. More people than not must enjoy it for that to be lucrative in any way.
Rapid City, SD doesn't have a hip-hop/rap station. ...lots of Christian music stations though. Even some native American music stations, interesting enough. ...but man, seriously, no rap stations here. Unbelievable.
After I got SiriusXM, I really haven't had much reason to listen to local radio for music. Fortunately in this day, we have plenty of alternatives for music broadcasts, be they on the web or satellite.
I was just in Rapid City, neat place.
I think it would be a good destination for a short family vacation in the summer. But living here, to me, is different. The novelty wears off really quick. ...and the 8 months of winter makes me sick.
Man I know the world is going crazy when I bacon your comments... ;)
Yet boy bands have gone away while country has just gotten bigger and bigger. There are more country music stations in the U.S. than any other genre.
FoxNews is the most watched news channel in the country.
Doesn't make it the best
I don't think I've ever seen anyone so passionate on here about hating on something as you are with Country music.
As others have said, it really is the best family friendly option that appeals to the largest crowd, especially southwest Virginia.
This. I personally am not a fan of country music. Don't listen to it, don't care for it. But it's a draw, and from a business and marketing standpoint I'm thrilled it's happening. It makes the weekend an event.
Because nothing screams awesome pregame experience for VT-Ohio St than a die hard WVU fan playing in a parking lot
Taking the WVU out of it, he's one of the biggest names in music right now and puts on a hell of a show. Those who attend won't be disappointed.
If you're Whit and planning this you only have so many option since the concert needs to be family friendly which eliminates a lot of artists. Of those choices Brad Paisley is one of the top options.
Also, Brad Paisley is a hell of a guitar player and I would put him up against almost anyone in a skill competition. So if it's talent you are concerned with, listen to this.
Brad Paisely "Nervous Breakdown"
(Sorry for not embedding. Not sure how to do it on an iPhone)
This is the right mindset to have regardless of whether you like the artist....follow me on this example for a minute
by this logic, wouldn't Taylor Swift be the best fit? family friendly, popular (the 'hell of a show' criteria is subjective but I'm positive there are people who would tell you that you wouldn't be disappointed)..She's also polarizing...it seems people love her or hate her...My point is that no matter who Whit gets to perform for VT there will be people who dislike that particular artist for any number of reasons. Taylor Swift is incredibly popular right now and by your logic would be the best possible option. I, for one, would not be excited about her performing (my fiance would undoubtedly disagree with me here) and I'm sure there are plenty of others with whom I share that sentiment. Brad Paisley is also very popular and I'm sure there will be a significant turnout for his performance. There will still be people who don't like his work.
Even if Metallica came, I'm sure there are plenty of Hokies out there who know little to nothing more of Metallica than 'Enter Sandman'. In fact, 'Enter Sandman' isn't even their best song...
It's good that Whit is trying to get a big-name artist to perform ahead of 'the most anticipated game in VT history' and even if it's not someone I particularly care for I still think its a great move by our AD. I would say the same if it were Taylor Swift or Metallica
Also if Whit was able to pull Taylor Swift to B-Burg I'd be extremely impressed. She's the most popular music act on the planet right now. But your point is 100% spot on; regardless of the act someone wouldn't like it.
Honestly I'm just impressed that he was able to get Paisley to the Burg.
Here's a question...
Why is Whit the one in charge of getting a concert on campus? I've been to a few campus concerts, and I don't think the AD had anything to do with any of them. Are we maybe giving Whit too much credit for landing this? Shouldn't Sands and/or the Student Union have had a hand in this?
I think the general thought here is that this isn't just some random concert; he's here specifically to be apart of the football festivities that weekend. So more of Whit's area.
Maybe a student org was involved? I don't see Sands having anything to do with concerts, though.
I was just about to post the same thing above. Good thing I kept reading. I don't see why everyone is so quick to think that Whit is respinsible for this. Maybe he is but it seems hard for me to believe that the athletic director is putting together concerts.
to try and answer your question I will refer to some quotes from Andy Bitter's interview with Whit
http://www.roanoke.com/sports/columns_and_blogs/blogs/andy_bitter_virgin...
Whit had some help from other organizations (he mentions Sands and IMG) but this feels like primarily his doing. Would the idea to even try having a concert have come up if Whit wasn't here? I can't speak to that definitively but I seriously doubt it. Did he do this alone? Certainly not, but I'm giving Whit credit for getting Paisley to Bburg for the game weekend based on these quotes from Andy Bitter because it sounds like the idea came from his department.
I think you've hit the nail on the head here. I'm betting Whit's involvement was along the lines of telling the people who organize on-campus events, "Get the biggest draw you possibly can that weekend." I don't think as AD Whit would have anything to do with actually nailing down a contract with an artist or anything like that, but it shows the culture shift from Weaver to Whit. Whit wants to manufacture events, not just games. He gets the spectacle of the thing.
After reading my original post again, my "too much credit" line might have sounded harsher than I meant it to. I wasn't trying to insinuate Whit didn't deserve praise, some of the comments just sounded like Whit was the one who called up Brad's people, and I'm pretty certain that's not what happened. There's channels at VT that reach out to artists to plan events.
I think this will be fun for a lot of fans but - and i can't believe i'm going to say this - I wish it was somebody a little more pop/rap. I'm stereotyping here but my first thought is we're going to have a ton of recruits on campus and it'd be great if the concert was more aligned with their preferences to deliver an unforgettable experience.
That being said, if you like him and are looking forward to it - have fun and I hope it makes a great weekend even better.
As has been stated before, Paisley puts on a great concert. He's more mainstream country, which is closer to pop/rock with a southern feel rather than banjos and the like. And they are putting on a concert for the community, not the recruits, especially since the concert is the night before the game. I would recommend for anyone to go, regardless of music preference because you go to a concert for the experience and the performance, not the quality of music and both of those will be top notch.
This is true.... It definitely does reinforce the stereotype of backwoods college town in the middle of rural America... That in and of itself isn't a bad thing, but when that is one of the main negative recruiting aspects people use against us, playing it up isn't always a good idea.
Yea because there has never been a huge record selling country concert in Chicago, NYC, BOSTON or any other large urban city. O wait that's right there has been a steady string of country artists selling out NFL and NBA venues.
That doesn't matter to recruits
Blacksburg is seen as a backwoods small college. Southern country culture, and the stereotypical 'southern pride' not so subtle racist people that come with them are what these kids are being told to expect in schools like Tech, especially from ones such as UVa or UNC. However true or not that it is, playing it up on the biggest stage like we are when these kids are going to be in town... doesn't seem like the best idea to me.
You should stop.
That doesn't seem to negatively affect SEC schools one bit.
wow..... lol
How exactly does this have anything to do with Brad Paisley? I don't know very much about him but I don't think any of this statement fits any sort of narrative with Brad Paisley...
Seriously??????? You forgot to use the sarcasm font. You might want to rethink your own bigotry here just a bit. Last time I checked Charley Pride was not a white racist and country music was not used as the theme music for the KKK. As far as southern culture being inherently backwoods and inhospitable to minorities, you don't sound like you know anything about the South. There is not a friendlier more open and generous community anywhere in this country than you will find in Blacksburg and anyone who has visited (well almost anyone who visits) will attest to that as fact. The South is not perfect by any means but neither is any other part of the country and trying to insinuate the having a country music singer on hand during the biggest football weekend in Va Tech history would somehow hurt our chances with recruits is absurd. Last time I checked, Auburn, Alabama; Clemson, South Carolina; Oxford, Mississippi; College Station, Texas and a host of other backwoods small college towns had not issues getting recruits to come there. (Yes I know Oxford is not really small but the Northern elitists that make arguments similar to that used above would be surprised to know they actually have indoor plumbing in any city in Mississippi.)
You'll not hear me defending bigotry, but Alum had a salient point, however ineffectively he may have made it. For an awful lot of this state, and I cannot speak for out of state, the entirety of Virginia west and south of Roanoke is a whole 'nother country. Past history isn't necessarily forgotten, I have a friend who played college ball for St. Joseph's and his recollection of a basketball game with Tech decades ago still colors his perception of VT and Blacksburg. Yes, times have changed, dramatically for the better, but either way, Brad Paisley isn't remotely part of the problem. This concert may not be a home run for everyone, but it is a serious effort to bring a crowd pleasing rousing concert to the FANS, and that ain't a bad thing. Pleasing the recruits is what all the pretty girls and big meals and coach blowing as much smoke up your ass as possible in a weekend is all about.
And the best way to counteract the "Hicksburg" stuff is to embrace the outdoor recreation, the beauty of the setting, and the easy going rural living available in the area and to get those kids to campus. B'burg is a wonderfully diverse community, and if urban lifestyle is your thing, you can always go back to it after you have a great college experience at Virginia Tech.
If this was a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert or some other "redneck rock" group, then you might be right. Brad Paisley does not fit that mold. And people really need to get off the whole idea that this is some recruiting ploy or that it will have any negative effect on recruiting. It's a ploy to get fans into Blacksburg for the entire weekend to capitalize on the momentum of the anticipation of Monday night's game. There are plenty of rap concerts, rock concerts, and classical music performances put on throughout the year to fill anyone's fancy, but this is something where they can attract folks from all over the NRV to campus and Blacksburg for one of the biggest names in popular country music right now.
EDIT: Note that I do enjoy Lynyrd Skynyrd and am not trashing the Southern Rock genre. It's just that the name "redneck rock" seems to be the direction Alum is implying is being brought to Blacksburg for this concert. While there will be cowboy hats and boots as well as girls in short, short, SHORT shorts, he's not the kind of musician that attracts Confederate flags and the like compared to Lynyrd and others.
I love impressing recruits as much as the next guy, but they're going to make up a tiny percentage of people at this game. Cater to the fans.
Actually winning one of the biggest games in school history would leave a much bigger impression on these kids than a concert anyway.
Agreed. I mean, why couldn't they get Taylor Swift or J-Lo?
I don't really like country music.
But I'm gonna get all liquored up and go anyway.
Forget all the rest of the comments. This guy gets it.
Im stoked if it becomes official. Been to a couple of his concerts and he puts on an awesome show. His tour dates online have the exact order from the t-shirt. Where they have Blacksburg, VA on it is where there is a gap in his tour. I can only guess it's not on there because they were trying to keep it on the DL and it was a somewhat of a last minute decision to have him.
Never been a country fan outside of Garth Brooks but I fully welcome this. Would be awesome if he busted out Enter Sandman in a true rendition.
also, comments on country music above are shortsighted and ignorant. Listening to a specific genre of music is no more telling of an individual as one's preference to eating cake or pie is. (and my plan to subvert the divisive rhetoric above into a TKP fan favorite has begun)....
I'm really glad to have your input on this. But that's just because you're team pie and therefore I know you to be an intellectual, moral individual and an all around class act. Can't say the same about those cake-eaters.
This guy is on Team Cookies!
Team Pie 4 Life.
via GIPHY
Regardless, there will be lots of cowboy boots in attendance, a lot of those will be worn with a skirt or shorts... Apparently that shit is in. Which.. Is ok with me...
I imagine any recruit will quickly gain the same admiration
My girlfriend loves to rock that look. It is very much ok with me.
I'm not gonna go looking for it, but I thought you said in some post somewhere in a thread, maybe now far, far away, that you were married. Remember being surprised at the time.
...the plot thickens...
Not a country fan but thought maybe I could find an upbeat/pump up song or two. I listened to the top 5 or so most viewed songs on YouTube. They all seem...slow. Anyone got any recommendations on ones that will be appropriate at a football game?
This: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88mntnPwp-4
Maybe more so at the tailgate...
As far as country goes he is definitely cornier than most. But get a few Bud heavys in me and I can rock out to him.
just brad paisley or country in general? if just in general I could list you many good football/tailgating songs, just let me know!
delete
What kind of music do you usually have here?
Oh, we got both kinds. We got country and western.
How much for the little girl?
Edit: Context
uhmm???
Another line from Blue Brothers. I guess a picture would have provided some context. My bad.
Kids nowadays never see the classics anymore...
I like all music when I have enough Crown and Coke. Brad Paisley is more pop than country, as are most modern "country" artists. It'll be really fun. He'll play lots of rock music and most likely Enter Sandman. Having as many people on campus, showing up big for Game Day, and revenue are the goals.
I'll respectfully disagree about him being more pop than country. He's one of the few Nashville country musicians I can even tolerate any more. It seems like other than him and ZBB, its all overproduced bro-country garbage. You're right about the rock stuff though. When he played down here in Pensacola in January, he did Hot for Teacher, and played the absolute shit out of that guitar.
Go for the guitar playing, stay for the crowd watching. You may not leave lovin' country, I know I don't, but I do bet you leave being damn glad you made the scene. Paisley's a hoot!
Paisley snuck a WVU hat on Beamer a couple years ago. This year, Beamer will walk out on stage, put a VT hat on Paisley, crowd will go wild. Book it.
Then VT will beat OSU. Crowd goes wild.
Party downtown. Crowd goes wild.
I might be amped for football season. Either that, or I am having an aneurysm.
ESPN gives excuses as to why OSU lost
"They've got this kid... Sam Rogers"
Paging mr Babcock. Paging mr whit Babcock.
He's not in my wheelhouse of music taste. But he'll get there very fast if he plays a mean guitar
The Beard speaks wisdom. He's also not in my "wheelhouse of music taste", but definitely in my mean guitar approvalhouse.
Brad Paisley plays a wicked guitar. Check out some of his "duels" with John Mayer and Keith Urban on YouTube. My favorite song of his, though, is "Welcome to the Future." How perfect is that for where we are football-wise?! Here is a link to the video: http://youtu.be/Y0Yg9wjctRw
I love the little kids in the video talking about what they want to be when they grow up, and you will hear/see some of Brad's mean guitar licks. Pretty good message, too. And for anyone who questions the appeal of country music, you have to admit that this video has a lot of diversity.
It's now Hokiesports Official
The free September 6th concert will be in the Cassel Lot (Lot 1). Eric Paslay will take the stage at 8 followed by Paisley at 9. Tech is the first stop on his 2015 college campus tour which includes dates at Arkansas, Texas, Baylor and other yet unannounced venues.
Deal was brokered by IMG who represents both Tech and Paisley.