DMX, Wilco to perform Little 500 week

Two Grammy-nominated musical acts -- Wilco and DMX -- will be performing at IU during the week of Little 500.\nUnion Board announced Tuesday that alternative rock band Wilco will perform April 17 at the IU Auditorium. Def Jam rapper DMX will perform April 20 at Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. \nWilco tickets will be priced at $27 and $35 for students and will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday. DMX ticket prices are yet to be determined, but will probably cost around $30, ATO social director Jonathan Potts said. Times for both events are undetermined.\nUnion Board President Brad Allen said he wanted to bring a "big name" for Little 500 and Concerts Director Katie Ly said Wilco is a perfect fit.\n"Wilco is a great name and will be successful for Little 500 week," she said. "Wilco is a band that students constantly ask Union Board to bring."\nWilco is not the official Little 500 concert yet because the IU Student Foundation still needs to approve use of Little 500 for the promotion, Allen said. Ly said the show will be "a Little 500 kick-off concert."\nSince Wilco will perform the Monday of Little 500 week, Allen said there still is the possibility of having another act perform at the IU Auditorium, but emphasized that Wilco should attract a solid crowd.\nThere were concerns about competition with other concerts during the week, Allen said, but Ly said she thinks Wilco is different enough to "stand out."\n"I think that Wilco brings a unique sound that will stand out from other shows," she said. "It will give this campus, which has diverse tastes in music, the opportunity to see a band that complements the Bloomington music scene."\nATO will bring DMX as a part of its Second Annual Hip-Hop-a-Palooza. The event will take place across three yards facing the fraternity house.\nPotts said this event will be even more exciting than last year's Young Buck concert.\n"We've learned a lot from our mistakes last year," he said.\nThis year, ATO plans to put up tarps and have two big screen TVs which will prevent people from trying to watch the event without paying for entrance, Potts said. There also will be stamps to allow for re-entrance, which was a problem last year, Potts said.\nPotts said Hip-Hop-a-Palooza will feature more than just DMX's performance. Last year, Young Buck didn't perform until 9 p.m., so this year ATO plans on having a freestyle battle competition before the show to keep the audience entertained. There will also be food, beverages and possibly booths from sponsors mtvU and Red Bull. There will be group rates available for ticket sales.\nThe event will cost around $45,000 to put on, but since ATO used a promoter to help bring the show to IU, it will see little risk. All of ATO's proceeds will go to the Boys and Girls Club of Bloomington.\nPotts said he expects ATO to attract bigger and better hip-hop artists for the event each year.\n"He really is a better performer (than Young Buck)," he said. "He hasn't had a CD in a while, but he's back on the scene, he's coming out with a new CD and I think students will enjoy it"