Updated March 5 at 3:18am with a correction to the online ticketing site's URL.
Hip-hop star Nas and the retro-electric indie-pop band Of Montreal will headline Spring Weekend, Brown Concert Agency representatives said Wednesday. Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, bombastic ska-punk rhymester Santigold, local rock band Deer Tick and world-fusion quintet Toubab Krewe will also perform.
In addition to an eclectic mix of musical entertainment, this year's Spring Weekend will feature a new, Internet-based ticketing scheme run through the Brown Student Agency's new online store, said Daniel Ain '09, BCA's booking chair.
Stephen Hazeltine '09, BCA's administrative chair, said bands were selected because of audience appeal, student interest and "bargain" cost.
This year will "be better than the year before - at least that's the goal," Ain said, though he acknowledged BCA "set the bar pretty high last year" with performances by Lupe Fiasco and M.I.A.
The concerts will be held over a two-day period, with Nas, Sharon Jones and Deer Tick performing on Friday night, April 17. Of Montreal, Santigold and Toubab Krewe will perform Saturday, April 18. Weather permitting, the shows will be held on the Main Green, with Meehan Auditorium serving as a rain location.
"I think Nas sort of speaks for himself," Hazeltine said of BCA's decision to select the high-profile rapper, esteemed for his suave look and feverish lyrics. "Everyone was sort of able to agree pretty quickly."
Of Montreal, the effervescently psychedelic band from Athens, Ga., was selected to headline Saturday's show because of widespread student interest, Ain said. "Everybody who's seen their shows said they're pretty crazy."
Deer Tick satisfies BCA's desire to bring a local group to the weekend's lineup, Hazeltine said.
"It's kind of cool to be connected to the Providence community and the local community in this way," Ain agreed.
Spring Weekend will also feature revamped ticketing in response to long lines and ticket counterfeiting last year.
"After last year, there's a legitimate need for change," Ain said. "We really wanted to do our part to make sure as many Brown students who wanted to come to the show could."
Tickets will go on sale online exclusively for Brown students during the first week of sales, which begin Monday at 8 a.m. Students will be allowed to purchase two tickets each online at market.brownstudentagencies.com using their University username and password.
"What's great is students won't have to wait in line," said Matt Garza '11, who designed the Web site and interface with Erik Nazarenko '11.
The store is "basically an Amazon for Brown students," Garza said. Spring Weekend ticketing will be the online store's first venture.
Brown students can buy ticket packages for both shows for $25. Students will also be able to buy separate tickets for Friday's and Saturday's shows for $15 each. Ticket sales will open to RISD students for the same prices a week later.
If there are still tickets left on Mar. 18, BCA will open ticket sales to the public for $25 a show.
But Ain said he hoped BCA would not need to sell any tickets to the public.
"Our intention is to sell it only to Brown," he said. "It's Brown students paying the activity fee."
Ain added that a number of subsidized tickets will be reserved for students with a high financial need. "It's going to help the students who couldn't afford to go otherwise," he said.
This year's tickets will also have anti-counterfeiting measures, including holograms and black-light ink, and will be delivered exclusively to student mailboxes "well before the concert," Ain said.
Initially, 3,000 tickets will be available, Hazeltine said, but the BCA will sell an additional 1,500 through conventional box-office ticketing 48 hours before each show if weather permits the shows to be held outdoors.
"Ideally, both shows will be on the Main Green this year," he said. Last year, both concerts were held inside Meehan because forecasts called for rain.
Saturday's show will also feature a student band selected at a Battle of the Bands at the Underground in early April.
