Fraternity Row will be rocking tonight, but not to the sounds of ’80s cover bands that typically echo from the houses on Jefferson Avenue.
The University of Alabama’s Interfraternity Council is teaming up with Costa Del Mar sunglasses for the U of Blue Greekfest concert, featuring Atlanta-based hip-hop cover band Az-Izz and national acts Keller Williams, Robert Earl Keen and moe. “We just tried to have a diverse lineup. We wanted everybody to feel welcome,” said Rob Sabin, the IFC executive vice president in charge of the event. “We just decided that we wanted something that was refreshing for the students. We wanted to provide bands that people wanted to hear, and I think we really hit on that with the lineup.” Keller Williams is a virtual one-man band, using looping effects to weave multiple bass, acoustic and electric guitars and percussion into his songs. Moe is a progressive rock band based in the Northeast. Both are pre-eminent acts on the jam band circuit, playing festivals like Bonnaroo and Rothbury. Robert Earl Keen is a nationally known country singer-songwriter, while Az-Izz frequents bars, clubs and private parties around the SEC. “I just think it’s going to be a lineup of music that people actually want to hear,” Sabin said. “I’m a huge live music fan. I would love to see bands like this roll through Tuscaloosa at least once a month.” “I just feel like people, if it’s something they are paying into and not something they get to see [regularly], the responsibility falls on me and my committee to make sure they are getting what they pay for,” Sabin said. “This year we’re expecting a little more than that. We’re expecting probably 6,000 to 7,000 people to turn out.”
“The most value that you can find is the bands on the jam band scene,” he said. “Those are the bands that have the most bang for their buck, because they have a big fan base, especially among kids our age.”