Country music star set to rock Chadron

Country music artist Keith Anderson is set to take the stage at 7 p.m., April 25 in the Nelson Physical Activity Center as part of the 2012-13 CSC Galaxy Series’ event lineup.

Anderson, known for his high-energy shows, has earned the reputation of being an adept writer of award-nominated hits. His debut album, “Three Chord Country and American Rock & Roll” included two top 10 hits, “Pickin’ Wildflowers” and “Every Time I Hear Your Name.” Billboard and Radio & Records named him their No. one new male artist of 2005.

Bringing a big-name artist to a rural place like Chadron State is no small feat.

“It takes one to one and a half years to schedule a concert with a major artist such as Keith Anderson,” CSC Coordinator of Conferencing Shellie Johns said. “Most of that time is spent negotiating the contract.”

Johns said the process begins by ironing out a “rider,” a type of celebrity contract that includes what the college expects, performance dates, the amount it will pay, and what expenses, such as airfare and buses, it will cover.

The process of negotiating then begins. The artist’s agent wants to know how many tickets CSC will sell and at what price. Often, an agent will use a standard contract asking for specific things the artist requires, Johns said.

“When we deliver those things to the artist, they often look surprised and wonder why we brought them,” she said. Although the artist may not have personally requested the items, the standard contract required them.

The contract for Anderson was 23 pages long. The contract requires a stage larger and with a heavier weight restriction than CSC has, so Johns contracted with a vendor from Illinois to satisfy this provision.

Tickets typically cost $60-$120 for Anderson’s concerts, but CSC Conferencing is selling tickets for only $15 as they want to keep prices affordable for the community, Johns said.

Johns said she has enlarged her normal advertising area to include Rapid City and the surrounding area of South Dakota, part of Wyoming and a larger area of Nebraska for this concert. She expects this concert will sell out all 3,000 of its tickets.

Anderson’s scheduled performance is one of several slated for the Galaxy Series’ 2012-13 lineup. The CSC Galaxy Series is designed to stretch the experiences and imaginations of the institution’s students, employees and community members. The Galaxy Series accomplishes this through providing events with classical, historical and contemporary visual artists, speakers, musicians and performers. Johns selects programs for their artistic, educational, entertainment and multi-cultural values.

Johns, who has been the Conferencing Coordinator for seven years, said, “my reward is watching people come out of the events smiling, and that makes it all worth while for me.” She is also excited that the Galaxy Series incorporates a learning tool component beyond the actual event, such as when the Kenya Safari Acrobats spent time with Chadron students in grades one through four, demonstrating and explaining acrobatics.