Popular Alternative Pop-Rock Band to Perform at Ashland University

The popular alternative pop-rock band Sleeperstar will perform at Ashland University on Sept. 10 at Redwood Hall on the Ashland campus. The 8 p.m. concert will be a free event for all those in attendance.

Nicole Dyer, director of Student Life at Ashland University, said she is “thrilled” that Ashland University was able to sign Sleeperstar and offer this event as a free concert for Ashland students as well as those from outside the Ashland University campus.

“We had Sleeperstar here for Spring Fest last year and they were very popular so we decided to bring them back again,” Dyer said. “Our only concern is that there will be limited seating in Redwood Hall so we ask that people arrive early. Doors will open at 7 p.m.”

Sleeperstar is a predominantly pop-rock group that started in Dallas, Texas, in 2007. Chris Pearson sings lead vocals and is joined by Nick Box on guitar, Jake Lester on keyboard, Shaun Menary on drums and Brandon Rosas on bass.

Pearson had his start with the band Barefoot before joining with Box and Lester of Iron Giants to start Sleeperstar. A broad range of influences can be heard in Sleeperstar’s music, from Keane and Coldplay to the epic vamping in the bridge of “The Journey” reminiscent of Sigur Ros.

Sleeperstar, which has been on stage with such notable bands as Foreigner, Eve 6, Vertical Horizon, and Virgin Record’s Green River Ordinance, released its first full-length album in June. The album, “Just Another Ghost,” is the highly anticipated follow up to the EP, “To Speak, To Love, To Listen.”

“Just Another Ghost” embodies the eclectic nature of Sleeperstar's musical influences. Each song is a chapter in the story of a journey marked by Pearson’s soaring vocals, Box’s tasty guitar riffs, and the melodious piano/effects from keyboardist Lester. It is complimented by Menary’s emotionally charged drum beats and the clean bass lines of Rosas. The overall sound of the album has been described as “uniquely-familiar,” which may be due to the fact that Sleeperstar was influenced by the unique sounds of Kings of Leon, Radiohead, Paper Route, and Indy sensation Manchester Orchestra, as well as, the all too familiar sounds of U2, Coldplay, The Beatles, and Third Eye Blind.

Sleeperstar will begin their national tour in the fall of 2010, that will include critically acclaimed clubs like Jammin Java in Washington D.C., as well as colleges and universities across the country. As a precursor to the national tour, they played at Summerfest in Milwaukee, Wisc., as a part of a line-up that included Gavin DeGraw, Passion Pit, Counting Crows and some of the most popular artists in music today.

Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong, applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.