Brady C. Mallory

On Sept. 28 the Brookings Swiftel Center will offer Brookings a sweet treat-the band Sugarland.

The Grammy-nominated country duo’s concert starts at 7:00 p.m..

SDSU students can receive discount tickets by typing “SDSU” in the promo code box on

ticketmaster.com. Tickets can also be purchased via telephone or at the Swiftel Center Box Office. Prices range from $29 to $37.

Tickets for the concert are moving quickly and are expected to sell out due to the fact that Sugarland is an “up and coming group,” according to Janell Davis, the box office manager for the Swiftel Center.

Sugarland struck gold in 2004 and 2005 with the hit songs “Baby Girl” and “Something More.”

Originally an Atlanta-based trio, singer/songwriters Jennifer Nettles, Kristian Bush and Kristen Hall were signed to Mercury Records. They were nominated for numerous country music awards while their debut album sold over 2 million copies. In 2006, Kristen Hall left the group to pursue songwriting.

This chart-climbing country sensation is expected to perform for a full house.

“On a national level, country music is hot,” said Jenny Hammrich, the sales and marketing manager for the Swiftel Center.

Matching the music with the audience is extremely important. The band Switchfoot was poorly received due to South Dakota being a more conservative, country-based state.

“Switchfoot was not a huge sellout,” Hammrich stated.

Switchfoot tickets were between $16 and $21, while tickets for Sugarland range from $29 and $37.

“A rock band similar to them (is) cheaper in comparison, because rock acts normally have a younger audience who are not willing to pay as much. Country acts sell better even though they are more expensive,” said Kyle Jameson, the University Program Council concert coordinator.

Hammrich spends much time researching various artists for every possible concert. She finds out how many radio stations play an artist, the rotation level, demographics and if tickets will sell. The profits of an artist’s current CD are also taken into account.

To do their part in promotion, the UPC is communicating with the students of SDSU.

“We hang their promotional tools and announce the event at our events,” said UPC advisor Nick Wendell, on the co-sponsorship. “We are more involved in the promotion and distribution rather than the creation.”