Get set for summer

Arizona-based band to make appearance at UW-Eau Claire

GET+SET%3A+The+Summer+Set%2C+a+pop+group+from+Arizona%2C+will+be+making+a+campus+appearance+May+2+in+Davies+Center+following+local+group+The+Millenium.+Submitted

GET SET: The Summer Set, a pop group from Arizona, will be making a campus appearance May 2 in Davies Center following local group The Millenium. Submitted

Story by Emily Albrent, News Editor

With the help of student votes, a pop-rock band from Scottsdale, Ariz. will be taking over The Davies Center on May 2, thanks to the University Activities Commission.

The Summer Set consists of five members — two which are brothers. Jess Bowen (drums), Josh Montgomery (guitar), Brian Dales (vocals), John Gomez (guitar, piano, backup vocals) and Stephen Gomez started the band as teenagers and produced their first album, “Love Like This” in 2009, and their sophomore album “Everything’s Fine” in 2011.

Their third album, “Legendary,” came out in April 2014 with the popular single, “Boomerang,” with lyrics like, “If I was Jay-Z, you’d be my Beyonce, We could rock the nation like they do.”

The band has been featured on shows such as ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” and MTV’s “Jersey Shore.” The Summer Set won Macy’s iHeartRadio Rising Star competition and will also be playing main stage at this year’s Vans Warped Tour.

To find a band students want to see on campus, UAC Concerts Committee Co-chair April Heinzen said UAC posted a poll on their Facebook that had four different bands for students to choose from: American Authors, The Summer Set, The Ready Set and The Mowgli’s.

“We kind of narrowed that down with our concert committee, and those were the four we thought might do well here,” Carrie Biesinger, UAC concert co-chair said.

Biesinger said American Authors was chosen as the number one choice by students, but the band decided to go with a different venue, so UAC chose the second-most voted: The Summer Set.

The Millenium, a local band consisting of the two original members, Kyle Culver (guitar) and Matt Hasenmueller (vocals) and two new members, Kyle Featherstone (guitar, piano, vocals) and Sean Koran (bass) will open for The Summer Set.

“I have listened to The Summer Set since high school,” Featherstone said. “I’m fanboying a little bit to be honest.”

It is also the first show The Millenium will play as a four-piece band. Culver said opening will be a great way to culminate all the work they have done so far together.

“I just feel like we are doing this right,” Culver said.

Performing as the opener to The Summer Set was something that took time and determination. Featherstone said when he found out UAC was looking to book a bigger band again, he approached the committee and asked if The Millenium could perform as the opener. Soon enough, The Millenium had enough support to be chosen as the opener.

With two new members added to the band, Culver said they will try to keep their music as close to the record as possible, but with the integration of the full band.

Tickets for the show are still available, $5 for students and $7 for the community. Doors for the show will open at 7 p.m. on May 2, in the Ojibwe Ballroom in Davies.