ANNA WEBBER
A&E Assistant Editor
This Friday, familiar face Bebo Norman returns to Malibu to take the Pepperdine stage. For those who might not be so familiar, no, he is not a new clown or cartoon character as his name may suggest, but a contemporary Christian pop folk artist, producer and composer.
“He played here last spring semester and enjoyed Pepperdine so much that he asked us to come back,” said junior Anthony Kennada, director of the Student Programming Board’s concert committee. “It would be great to have a lot of people coming out in support of him. He’s doing a great thing.”
SPB puts on a handful of concerts each semester. Dispatch and Alli Rogers kicked off the year at last weekend’s Double Shot event and Bebo Norman is up next on SPB’s entertainment calendar.
“He comes to play here because he’s pretty popular on campus — it’s about the interest of the students,” said senior Keiy Murofushi. “It’s not because we decided, ‘let’s get Bebo’, but because he’s well-received here and he asked to come back.”
Tickets went on sale Monday and can be bought during lunch in the Caf or at the Smothers Box Office. Student tickets cost $8. The show will take place in Smothers Theatre tomorrow at 8 p.m.
According to Student Activities Director Dustin Vyers, approximately 200 tickets have been sold, which accounts for roughly half of Smothers’ 400 person capacity.
“From what I’ve heard, many students usually buy their tickets the day of the show,” Vyers said. “We are expecting the place to fill up.”
There are perks to not being the early bird, however, as Vyers said those who wait to secure their seats on the day of the show will be entered into a raffle for a Bebo Norman CD.
Norman built up a grass-roots following through several years of touring in the mid 1990s, which helped promote sales of his self-released album, “The Fabric of Verse.” Norman was eventually signed to Essential Records, where he released his official debut album, “Ten Thousand Days,” in 1999.
Friday’s concert comes on the heels of his newly released CD, “Between the Dreaming and the Coming True,” which hit stores Tuesday.
“His last couple CDs have been kind of sad and depressing,” Vyers said. “But after he got married, his style and sound changed, and his songs got more poppy. He began sounding happier after “Try,” and his new CD is really positive.”
The Pepperdine show is one stop on “The Dreaming True Tour,” which also features Christian music newcomers Aaron Shust and Brandon Heath, both contemporary Christian pop-rock artists.
Norman’s sound is less like the average Christian artist that is heard time and time again. His music has more of an alternative rock ’n’ roll style and his songs are complemented with a full band behind him.
“He’s like the Christian Jack Johnson,” said Kerri Heath, student leadership development coordinator. “He’s very real, talks about his struggles in life and is very honest about being a human being.”
Those who appreciate the music of Jars of Clay, David Gray or John Mayer would naturally gravitate toward Norman’s music and his shows can be best compared to a Dave Matthews Band experience musically, but with a heavily Christian message.
“Between the Dreaming” is Norman’s fifth studio album and it features Adam Lester on guitar, Tony Lucido playing bass, Ken Lewis on drums, Gabe Scott on accordion and Shane Keister at the piano. John Painter did the string arrangements. Together, the band delivers a brilliantly orchestrated sound combined with a powerful but relatable message.
His most successful album to date is “Myself When I Am Real.” It included hit songs “Great Light of the World” and “Falling Down.” Other popular songs to listen for at Friday’s concert include “Disappear”, “Nothing Without You”, and “Borrow Mine.”
Both serious Bebo Norman fans — which refer to themselves simply as Simpletons — as well as students looking for a reason to take a study break will not want to miss Friday’s show.
Students can also look out for more concerts sponsored by SPB this fall. Jars of Clay, along with Matt Wertz and Leigh Nash, are coming to campus Saturday, Nov. 4, but tickets for the Alumni Park show go on sale Oct. 2 and can be bought at pepspbtickets.com.
For more information on SPB events, check out http://studentorgs.pepperdine.edu/spb.
09-21-2006