Cheers Elephant, Magic Man to play annual concert benefitting DM

Tyler Pager, Assistant Campus Editor

Cheers Elephant will headline A&O Productions and Dance Marathon’s annual Benefit concert Saturday and Magic Man will open the show, the two organizations announced Thursday.

The concert will be held on Norris University Center’s East Lawn. Entry is free with a suggested donation of $5, with proceeds going to DM. Doors to the concert open at 1:30 p.m. and Magic Man will take the stage half an hour later.

Cheers Elephant is an indie pop-rock band from Southern California known for their three-part harmonies and pop song arrangements. The band’s track “Leaves” hit No. 4 on Hype Machine and was featured on National Public Radio, Spotify and We Are Hunted.

Magic Man is a synth-rock band that was originally formed in 2009 as a duo and released their self-produced debut album, “Real Life in Color,” in 2010. The band is now made up of five members and have added an indie pop-rock to their sound. Their new EP, “You Are Here,” was released in September 2013 and they are planning to release a new album soon.

A&O spokeswoman Rosalind Mowitt said Benefit is designed to be an upbeat concert. Mowitt said the event will have a different vibe than last weekend’s Philfest, which was described as relaxing.

“Both of them are really talented, up-beat musicians,” the Weinberg senior said. “Benefit is very much a concert and is about the outdoor concert experience so a high level of energy is something we were really looking for.”

DM spokeswoman Arielle Miller said the organization is excited to kick off the new fundraising year. DM will also be sending out its first round of canners this weekend, beginning fundraising for the 2015 edition of the philanthropy.

“We are really looking forward to diving into this new year with this momentum,” the Medill sophomore said. “We really just want people to come and have a good time and enjoy the sunshine. It’s just a really laid back way to kick off the year and let the community know we are more excited than ever.”

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