West Virginia University’s annual FallFest concert is teaming up with the popular Welcome Week event FoodFest to give students a festival atmosphere on the Evansdale Campus to celebrate the start of the Fall semester. This year’s performers are Pittsburgh-based rapper Mac Miller, the Chicago-based electronic duo Flosstradamus and California-based indie rockers Cold War Kids.

Both events will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 16 in the CPASS/Student Health Parking Lot. Gates will open at 3 p.m. and the concert is set to begin at 4 p.m. This free event is open to WVU students only. Students must present their valid WVU Student I.D. to enter. WVU Students are permitted one non-student guest, age 17 or older.

Mac Miller’s first album made him a grassroots rap megastar and landed him a slot in the 2011 FallFest lineup. Following that performance, Millers “Blue Side Park” debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s 200 chart. Now he returns to headline the annual welcome-back-to-campus concert. Miller has collaborated with everyone from Bun B and Kendrick Lamar to Rick Ross and Juicy J and has 11 mixtapes to his credit. His most recent album “GO:OD AM,” echoes Miller’s past forays into piano music, with fresh mixes of spiritual soundscapes and trap drums. It also features a lot of swagger and humor. Rostrum Records recently released Miller’s first mixtape “Best Day” as a commercial album. The tape is home to the party anthem “Donald Trump,” which sold 1.25 million downloads and racked up more than 100 million YouTube views, spawning a feud between Miller and the Republican presidential nominee that continues to simmer.

The electronic duo of J2K and Autobot, Flosstradamas or simply “Floss” to their ever-growing fanbase, have been reinventing party rocking for close to a decade. The two bring an irresistible sense of fun to every set, whether it’s a nightclub gig or in front of thousands at Lollapalooza. It’s no wonder, Flosstradamus finds themselves at the forefront of the dance genre known as trap. Floss is expected to deliver their high-energy hybrids like the hit remix of Major Lazer’s “Original Don” as well as some of the original tracks from their albums “Fool’s Gold,” “Mad Decent” and most recently, “Soundclash.”

California-based indie rockers Cold War Kids have embraced the influences of Bob Dylan, Billie Holiday, Jeff Buckley and the Velvet Underground to create their soulful, blues-infected brand of indie pop that is both contemporary and classic. A mainstay on Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart, the band scored its first No. 1 single on the Rock Airplay chart in November with their hit “First,” the second release of their most recent album “Hold My Home.” Front man Nathan Willett describes the single as a “morning-after song with the usual Cold War Kids self-doubt.” Willett explains that songs like “First” which strike an emotional nerve can be vulnerable, but says this single “got an immediate reaction” from the group’s fans.

Both FallFest and FoodFest are free to WVU students with valid WVU Student IDs. WVU IDs will be scanned at the gates. Students are encouraged to check with Mountaineer Card Services to be sure their IDs are working properly. Gates will open at 3 p.m. FoodFest concludes at 8 p.m. and the concert will conclude at 9 p.m. Gates will be located between the CPASS Building and the Student Rec Center, and on Rec Center Drive at the entrance to CPASS/Student Health Parking Lot. WVU Students are permitted one guest age 17 or older. Guest tickets are no longer required and WVU Students with guests may enter any gate. Guests must enter with their accompanying WVU Student and be prepared to show proof of age. The PRT will run until 10:15 p.m. and buses will run continuously between the Mountainlair and Evansdale Crossing from 3 p.m. until 11 p.m.

This is an alcohol-free event. Legal beverages will not be available for purchase. Concert-goers should note that no smoking will be permitted in accordance with WVU’s tobacco-free campus policy. No purses, backpacks, or bags of any kind will be permitted inside the FallFest gates. Glow sticks and selfie sticks are also prohibited. As an additional safety measure, all concert-goers will be subject to a random security check and wanding before entering the gates.

FallFest and FoodFest are both rain or shine events. FallFest is produced by WVU Arts & Entertainment. For additional event information, call 304-293-SHOW, or visit events.wvu.edu. Stay connected with the latest event updates on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by following @wvuevents.

-WVU-

CONTACT: Kristie Stewart-Gale, Arts & Entertainment
304-293-8221, kristie.stewart-gale@mail.wvu.edu

Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.