Raitt to give campus 'something to talk about'

Blues legend Bonnie Raitt will bring her signature twang and slide guitar to campus next month.\nUnion Board booked the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer for a concert at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 17 at the IU Auditorium. Available at all local Ticketmaster locations, tickets run from $25 to $40, with a $5 discount for students.\n"She has an extremely broad fan base," said UB Concerts Director Jeff Zuckerman, a senior.\n"This is a tremendous opportunity for Union Board to bring a show that can delight an entire community."\nRaitt is touring for the album Fundamental, which she released in 1998. \nThough grounded in the Memphis blues with which she has made a name for herself, the album involved experimental orchestral arrangements, garnering her some critical acclaim.\n"On Fundamental, Raitt makes room for all facets of her musical personality, from sassy rock to sophisticated balladry," wrote USA Today reviewer Edna Gunderson. "She's matured with mellowing, leaving room in her expanding repertoire for the signature rebel yells of her early work as well as the Grammy-winning silky pop of late."\nRaitt has taken to playing smaller venues to augment her typically larger scale performances, said Andy Wilson, a spokesperson for Sunshine Promotions. \n"I know she's been hitting a lot of smaller markets," he said. "I think she wants to perform in more intimate settings, but I can't speak for her or anything."\nThe daughter of Broadway star and accomplished pianist John Raitt, Bonnie has played everything from reggae to soul. After nearly 30 years of touring, she has nabbed nine Grammys, starting with the commercially successful 1989 album Nick of Time. Her 1994 album Longing in Their Hearts topped the charts and ended up going platinum. A year later, the release of Fender's Bonnie Raitt Signature Series Stratocaster made her the first woman musician to have a guitar named after her.\nZuckerman said her storied career is her appeal to students.\n"It's not a traditional show for college students," he said. "But she's a legend of rock and roll and blues. I think everyone can appreciate a legend. And, plus, her last album was really good."\nTickets go on sale at 10:00 a.m Friday.\nUnion Board is also bringing the eclectic jam band String Cheese Incident back to campus for an Oct. 19 show at the Auditorium. They sold out the Buskirk-Chumley Theater last fall.\n"They were disappointed that not everyone who wanted to see their show did," Zuckerman said. "So they approached us about coming back."\nFor more information, or to order tickets, visit www.sfx.com.