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August 20, 2007
by Laura Ashley Lamm Add bigger named celebrities with VIP parking for season patrons, a barbecue meal, a program designed for children, five receptions and two free shows, and what one gets is season three of Edgecombe Community College's Performance Series. With three headliners - legendary entertainer Mickey Rooney, country star Taylor Swift, and soulful crooner Percy Sledge - the Performance Series begins a new season with a list of entertainment covering all musical genres and appealing to all ages. "We feel like we have planned a good season for our community. We hope they will agree and come to Keihin Auditorium to be entertained in season three," said ECC Cultural Arts Director Eric Greene. This season also includes performances by the Regina Carter Quintet, Star Spangled Girls, Blues Night, The Cat's Pajamas, and the Southern Fried Jazz Band. The Performance Series is taking a new direction this year which includes bigger names performing, special parking, more features, and more advertising. Last year, the Performance Series hosted 10 shows with 11 artists. This year, the number has been reduced to eight shows to allow for the booking of more well-known entertainers. "We brought in bigger named celebrities like Mickey Rooney, Taylor Swift, and Percy Sledge. This should drum up interest and lend legitimacy to the other programs in the season," said Greene. In addition, two of the eight shows are free to the community and sponsored by local organizations. The first, Regina Carter on Friday, November 2, is free to the public thanks to a sponsorship from the Furman Mathewson Trust of the Edgecombe County Memorial Library. The second, Star Spangled Girls on Saturday, November 10, is free thanks to a sponsorship from the Braswell Memorial Library. Another change this year: shows are only on the weekends in anticipation of a larger turnout for performances. Another change for the Performance Series is the additional accommodations for season ticket holders. "The first 16 season ticket holders will receive a VIP parking pass to park in one of the 16 available spaces in front of Mobley Atrium," said Greene. "This is our way of making sure we have taken care of our season ticket holders." A purchase of a season ticket includes reserved seating for all eight shows and passes to the five pre-show receptions. "There are receptions prior to performances for season ticket holders which will also give them the opportunity for a meet and greet with the artist," explained Greene. Season ticket holders will receive passes to the pre-show receptions for Mickey and Jan Rooney, Regina Carter Quintet, Star Spangled Girls, Southern Fried Jazz Band, and Percy Sledge. "I think we have a great lineup of artists; a very diverse group that includes some major celebrities. I think when you consider a season ticket for the general public at $115, to see all eight shows including our three headlines, tickets average to be $14.37 a performance," said Greene. "In my professional opinion, that is the best entertainment value in the state." If residents do not want to see every show, they have the option of purchasing tickets to three events for a 10 percent discount on their purchase. Part of the revamped Performance Series includes taking a new direction in advertising. Residents will be able to hear ads on local radio stations and see commercials on local television stations. "We are doing what we can to spread the word on the series and generate a large interest," said Greene. This new advertising strategy involves official media sponsorships with WDWG 98.5 ("The Big Dawg") and WNCT Oldies 107.9. The college welcomes the partnership with The Big Dawg for the Taylor Swift concert on Friday, February 29, and with Oldies 107.9 for the Percy Sledge concert on Sunday, May 18. "The radio stations will give away tickets on air and we will have a live remote from 107.9 on the day of the concert," said Greene. Live remotes are before one show, but a barbecue meal with all the fixings is before another. Blues Night, featuring Kevin Egypt, Eric Greene, and Mike "Lightnin" Wells, on Saturday, February 23, will have an eastern North Carolina barbecue dinner provided by Carolina Sunrise Grill of Tarboro. While enjoying a pre-show dinner in the Mobley Atrium, guests can enjoy the sounds of the Tarboro High School Gospel Choir. With all these new additions, Greene anticipates this to be the most successful season for the Series. Excitement about the lineup has already spread among residents due to a high volume of word of mouth discussion. "We have had a lot of interest, particularly with Taylor Swift coming. Several adults heard about the show and their teenage children are doing quite a bit of Internet chat about it," said Greene. Event tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Tuesday, September 4. Cash, checks (payable to Edgecombe Community College), money orders and credit cards are accepted. Tickets may be purchased at the ECC Box Office located in Mobley Atrium or online at www.etix.com. Orders are currently being taken for season ticket holders, who will be the first to receive tickets on September 4. Admission to the Star Spangled Girls and Regina Carter events are free; however, a ticket is required. There is a limit of four tickets per person. Groups larger than four may contact Ann Adams at 823-1141 for the Regina Carter show tickets and call Braswell Library at 442-1951 for the Star Spangled show. "We want everyone to come, be entertained, and enjoy a nice facility. Residents should know they can enjoy first class entertainment in without leaving town," said Greene. "We have a lot to offer."
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