The Bandersnatch concert series sponsored by University Union will host its first artist of the semester, Mike Posner, on Oct. 28.

Posner, a hip-hop artist currently in his senior year at Duke University, will join the ranks of other past Bandersnatch performers who fit the up-and-coming music persona, such as Styles P, Jason Reeves, Wolf Parade, Head Automatica and Shiny Toy Guns.

‘A few years ago, some of the students who were on concert board at UU realized that while there were large acts that came to Syracuse, there wasn’t funding for the smaller acts,’ said Kyra Zeller, UU Bandersnatch president and a junior in the Bandier Program for Music and the Entertainment Industry. ‘So, they started the Bandersnatch music series. We bring smaller acts to campus that caters to a niche in the school.’

Posner was recently signed by J Records and his second mixtape is coming out at midnight on the night of his Syracuse University performance. His first mixtape, which came out earlier this year, is increasingly gaining publicity and he is currently preparing for his first album. He has collaborated with the likes of Kid CuDi, Wale and Jackie Chain and his mixtape ‘A Matter of Time’ was well received by critics.

‘He’s really getting so much press from a ton of different people right now,’ Zeller said. ‘He is gaining game in the college market. I know a bunch of SU students that listen to him and like him. I thought getting him while he was smaller would be a really great show for the Syracuse students.’ Posner will also make appearances at Purdue University, the University of Arizona, Wake Forest University and the University of Maryland. ‘I don’t know who Mike Posner is, but I would go see him with my friends if I heard he was good,’ said Meryl Iskenderian, a sophomore psychology major.

Posner’s song ‘Cooler Than Me,’ which features Big Sean, was on iTunes in March as a free download and made it to the No. 1 free downloaded song of the week spot. Rapper Chucklehead will open for Posner when he comes to SU next week. Chucklehead also recently preformed at SU during Sigma Chi fraternity’s Derby Days philanthropy event and was well received, Zeller said. Amy Nightingale, a senior finance and management major, first heard of Posner’s music this past summer. ‘It immediately caught my attention. After that, it led me to buy more of his songs off of iTunes,’ she said. ‘I found out that he was my age, and I was so impressed with his talent.’

rltoback@syr.edu

Published on October 18, 2009 at 12:00 pm