SHANNON URTNOWSKI
Staff Writer
Pepperdine will welcome multi-platinum country trio SHeDAISY to Smothers Theatre tomorrow at 8 p.m. for a night of country music.
SHeDAISY is a family trio comprised of sisters Kassidy, Kelsi and Kristyn Osborn.
“They play contemporary country music,” said Kyle Frederick, SHeDAISY’s manager.
Their debut album, “THE WHOLE SHeBANG,” came out in 1999 and was both a critical and financial success, quickly achieving double-platinum sales with more than 2 million albums sold.
Four of the singles on their first album hit the Top 10, and the group quickly developed a solid following among country music fans.
SHeDAISY will be welcomed at Smothers by “a sell-out performance,” said Marnie Mitze, managing director of the Center for the Arts.
“We have about 60 students attending the show, including our women’s soccer team,” Mitze said.
SHeDAISY has been on the road for the past month and was not available for comment.
Frederick said the group “is absolutely thrilled about the upcoming show and enjoys playing in California every opportunity they get.”
The upcoming performance was scheduled at Pepperdine through the persistent efforts of Mitze and the Center for the Arts.
“In the past we have not presented very much Country Western,” Mitze said. “Currently, country and pop are so intermingled, I thought we should give it a try.”
Mitze said she contacted University President Andrew K. Benton and asked what he thought of SHeDAISY being part of the President’s Choice Series.
Benton gave the group “a big thumb’s up,” Mitze said.
SHeDAISY’s sophomore effort, “Knock on the Sky,” did not enjoy the success of their first album — it yielded unimpressive sales and drew critic’s pans.
After the group’s freshman success was quickly halted with the release of “Knock on the Sky,” The group decided to reassess its musical style and marketing strategy, according to their Web site, SHeDAISY.com.
Their newest album, “Sweet Right Here,” was released in June 2004. Wanting to return to their pure country roots and set aside the musical differences that adversely affected “Knock on the Sky,” the group went for a simple, natural sound, according to the trio’s Web site.
Fans have been responding well to the lyrics of band member Kristyn Osborn, who either “writes or co-writes all the music,” Frederick said.
“They are very excited about the success of their current album, ‘Sweet Right Here,’” Frederick said. “The album is approaching Gold status with sales over 500,000.”
The album was their highest debuting record in the group’s history.
SHeDAISY’s third single off the album, “Don’t Worry ‘Bout a Thing,” was a Top 10 hit on country radio. The song is a play on the band’s bumpy career.
SHeDAISY’s fourth album is set for release in early 2006.
At the height of their success, Kassidy, Kelsi and Kristyn were performing in some of the largest concert venues in the country before crowds numbering in the thousands. On their way back up the country-music charts, the sisters will stop at Pepperdine for an intimate concert event.
It has been seven years since the sisters last performed in Malibu at a benefit for the Pepperdine Center for the Arts Guild.
Frederick said Friday night’s show will be an acoustic blend of many of SHeDAISY’s hit songs and new pieces.
Concertgoers had to purchase their tickets in advance to gain entrance to Friday’s performance, which is already sold out.
“They were lucky and bought their tickets early,” Mitze said.
Some students expressed disappointment that the sold-out concert was not more accessible to students.
While tickets cost $45 for the general public, admission to all events at Smothers Theatre costs only $10 for Pepperdine students.
“I wish I would have known about it earlier, because I love country music,” sophomore Brittney Nichols said. “SHeDAISY is one of my favorites. I wish it could have been in a bigger place so more people could have gone.”
09-29-2005
