Collegiate Times

This year's edition of Gobblerfest, a free welcome festival to kick-off the new school year for Virginia Tech students, faculty, staff and local residents, will include a kick-off concert featuring hit group Super Mash Bros. 

Hosted by the Division of Student Affairs and various Tech and Blacksburg partners, the event will consist of an outdoor street fair, pep rally and late-night activities, including a comedian performance, movie, dance party and midnight pancake breakfast.

Additionally, the class of 2012 will host a free concert beginning at 6 p.m. in Squires Student Center's Commonwealth Ballroom, showcasing Super Mash Bros. The trio consisting of Nicolas Fenmore, Dick Fink and Ethan Dawes grew up in Los Angeles and currently juggle the responsibilities of being full-time students and full-time touring artists.

When Christina Tammaro, special events co-chair for the class of 2012, heard about the up-and-coming group, she thought it would be perfect for the concert.

“[I] got feedback from VTU to bring the Super Mash Bros. to Virginia Tech. They sounded great for this college atmosphere, and it should be a fun show," Tammaro said. 

Branding themselves as “Girl Talk’s hot cousin,” members of Super Mash Bros. cite the other group as their greatest musical influence. A concert put on by Girl Talk at Tech in 2009 sold out in record time, leading organizers to believe the Super Mash Bros., following in the footsteps of the familiar performer, are bound to be a hit with the Hokies.

Laura Wedin, student program director for alumni relations, said while Gobblerfest is a relatively new event first held in 2008, the concert has been a tradition since the mid-90s. Aimed at introducing new and returning students to the Blacksburg area, Gobblerfest mixes fun activities with informative displays to showcase what Tech has to offer.

Since its inception, Gobblerfest has continued to host the annual concert. Last year’s concert featured reggae band SOJA and a crowd that numbered more than 1,000 fans.

The only major difference from last year, aside from the performers, is the venue. Last year, the original plan called for an outdoor concert, but inclement weather warnings forced organizers to move the show indoors. Kelly Smith, special events co-chair for the class of 2012, said the indoor venue seemed to work very well in a pinch and organizers this year decided it would be better to hold the concert indoors. 

Putting out two albums out in the past three years, "Fuck Bitches. Get Euros.," and "All About The Scrillions," Super Mash Bros.' rise in the music industry has been noticed around the world.

Formed in 2007, the members were college students operating out of a basement, and as their popularity grew, so did the venues and range of their performances. The group's mash-ups meld a variety of songs from a wide range of genres, leading to a large scope of interest. 

In addition to the concert, there will be tables outside the ballroom with information pertaining to two junior class events -- Ring Premiere and Ring Dance. There will also be merchandise tables from the musicians.

If the Facebook event is any indication, with close to 3,000 members planning to attend, then the event will surpass last year’s attendance -- as well as the ballroom's maximum capacity.

A version of this article appeared in the Aug 24 issue of the Collegiate Times.