The Celebrity Concert Series is continuing their 2015-16 season lineup with two more crowd-pleasing shows in December. In all programming decisions, quality and professionalism remain the core values, but DSU is excited to continue to grow and evolve and bring the cultural arts experience to an increasingly diverse group of attendees. Referring to the 2015-16 Celebrity Concert Series, Steve Lemmon, the cultural arts programming director for DSU, stated, “We are thrilled with the programming that is in place this year.” December will be no exception.
On Dec. 17, the Celebrity Concert Series in conjunction with DSU welcomes the award-winning a capella group M-Pact to the stage to perform their take on timeless holiday favorites as well their arrangements of other songs.
If you want to know about M-Pact, imagine the smooth soul of Stevie Wonder, the percussive power of Stomp, the hip licks of Take 6, the brass bite of the Harry Connick Jr. Big Band, and the funk and drive of Earth, Wind, & Fire, all created by the human voice alone.
Hailed as “one of the best pop-jazz vocal groups in the world” by the San Francisco Chronicle, M-pact is a cutting edge trailblazer in the realm of vocal music. Emerging from an age of auto-tune and overproduction, the Los Angeles-based ensemble has cultivated a new generation of ears hungry for the fresh, raw power of the human voice and will put on a show you don’t want to miss.
On Dec. 19, Ryan Shupe and Eric Dodge will perform as a special Christmas bonus show.
Eric Dodge has been part of the Utah music scene for years. Dodge’s show will focus on his album “A Christmas Wish,” as well as other favorites.
Ryan Shupe & the RubberBand will tailor their rocking acoustic sound to fit their favorite time of the year via the use of Christmas lights, Santa hats, and entertaining video snippets coupled with stellar musicianship, tight harmonies, and family-friendly entertainment.
There will be no shortage of classic Christmas tunes wrapped with fiddle-paper and banjo-bows. From the calypso-influenced “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” to the beatnik version of “Drummer Boy” to the bluegrass version of “Jingle Bells,” concert attendees will love these creative and musically diverse renditions. The band also adds a clever holiday twist to some of their more popular tunes. “The Corndog Song” becomes “The Eggnog Song,” and “The Grinch Went Down To Whoville” is a fun Christmas variation of “The Devil Went Down To Georgia.”
In typical Ryan Shupe fashion, the show will be fun and energetic but also capture the spirit of Christmas with a beautiful instrumental arrangement of “Carol Of The Bells” and a thoughtful sing-along of “Silent Night” in addition to some of Shupe’s original Christmas songs.
Please visit celebrityconcertseries.com for information on all the performers who will be a part of the Celebrity Concert Series season. Individual concert tickets are available at the DSU box office or dsutix.com or by calling (435) 652-7800. Both December shows begin at 7:30 p.m.
