Mark your calendars: on March 11, 2016 at 7 p.m., the Grammy Award-winning Christian artist Lecrae will be performing in the Eastern University gym. Ben Howard, the Student Activities Coordinator, states, “I really don’t think there is a bigger Christian artist than Lecrae, and it is someone we wouldn’t have been able to afford on a normal [basis]… Partnering with Creation offers a higher possibility to have interesting concerts,” said Howard. Lecrae’s tour is called the Higher Learning Tour, which is specifically for college students. He will be performing at other colleges including Wheaton College, Geneva College, and Abilene Christian College, and his other stops in Pennsylvania are Beaver Falls and Reading. His fellow touring artists are DJ Promote and Liz Vice, a singer combining gospel, soul, and R&B genres. Eastern students can purchase tickets for $17 at the Student Activities Board office, but there are less than 100 tickets left. On Lecrae’s website, lecrae.com, general admission tickets are $29.88 and VIP meet and greet tickets are $66.45. Tickets are selling fast, so buy yours now.
Howard has been trying to get Lecrae here since he started working as the SAB coordinator three years ago. “This is a pretty big deal, and it makes me stay awake at night thinking about the stress of it,” Ben says jokingly. Lecrae’s concert has positive benefits for Eastern as a community builder and publicity opportunity. “It’s really great to have some diverse music offerings for our concerts–that’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while,” said Howard.
Students seem excited for the event. Tierra Brown, a junior youth ministry major, is excited “because it’s something new to the Eastern community, and it can expand the students’ horizons… [to] try new things.”
More students are needed as volunteers to assist with the setup and breakdown of sound equipment and concert supplies. Students interested in volunteering for the concert should email Ben Howard at bhoward@eastern.edu.