Daily Skiff

It won't be Friday and there won't be any cold beer, but the Zac Brown Band will be singing about it.

To celebrate the end of the semester, the Programming Council arranged for the popular country music group to put on a free concert for students on Thursday, said Kennedy Stewart, Programming Council chair and sophomore advertising/public relations major.

Stewart said she saw the band at a convention some of the Programming Council members attended.

"We thought it would be great to bring them to campus and we had leftover money in our budget since we couldn't do tailgates this year, so we used those funds to bring the band to campus," Stewart said.

The band was the Academy of Country Music's Top New Vocal Group of 2009, and the band's video for their No. 1 platinum single "Chicken Fried" was nominated for two fan-voted 2008 Country Music Television Music Awards: Group Video of the Year and USA Weekend Breakthrough Video of the Year, according to a Shore Fire Media news release.

Chris Fryar, the drummer for the Zac Brown Band, said the band is excited to come to campus and they want everyone to come out and have a good time with them.

"We expect to put on a really good show and we hope everyone enjoys it just as much as we enjoy playing." Fryar said. "We have been playing at several colleges the past few weeks, and everywhere we go we have been having really great receptions."

With a platinum single and huge success, Fryar said the fame is a very surreal experience that is difficult to put into words.

"We had no idea the song 'Chicken Fried' would do so well," Fryar said. "We are just enjoying it and taking it one step at a time. We are very proud of the song and happy to be doing what we do."

William LaFuze, a junior finance and entrepreneurial management major, said he will be attending the concert tomorrow night. "I am excited the Zac Brown Band is coming to campus, especially after they debuted their first album 'The Foundation,' Lafuze said. "I have heard they can put on a good performance so that will make it even better."

Emily Chan, director of live events for Programming Council, said there will be root beer kegs for students to enjoy at the concert. She said the concert is free to all students, faculty and staff. The concert will not be open to the public.

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