The Black Eyed Peas will be performing at this year’s Veishea Center Stage, one of the featured events of the celebration. A new name to many ISU students, the band has elicited ambivalent feelings from the university community.

Some students said Veishea is a time for the Black Eyed Peas, a hip-hop group, to make its presence known on the music scene.

“This is a great opportunity for the band to get their music out so the students can get a taste of them,” said Nick Schon, sophomore in horticulture.

Mark Fiddelke, freshman in pre-business, said he thinks many students will go to the concert because they’re curious.

“The tickets are cheap, and it will be a great show for students to see if the Black Eyed Peas are any good,” Fiddelke said.

College students are the best market for music because they are exposed to many different types, said Ronnie Chandler, undeclared sophomore.

“Black Eyed Peas aren’t my type of music. They aren’t anything I can listen to on a daily basis, but I will be at the concert,” Chandler said. “It will be lots of fun with everyone having a good time together, having a band at Iowa State.”

Matt Olson, sophomore in management information systems, disagreed with Chandler about Black Eyed Peas’ sound.

“They aren’t the typical type of music, kind of unique, but I enjoy listening to them,” Olson said.

Olson said that although the $5 student tickets will draw people to the concert, the fact that Black Eyed Peas aren’t well-known may keep some people away.

“If there was a bigger name, there could be a bigger turnout outside of the Iowa State community for the concert. The lesser-known band means less people will probably come, which takes away from the atmosphere,” he said.

Chandler said if Veishea had a better known band, then people from other places outside of Ames, such as Des Moines, would be more likely to come to the concert.

Schon said a better choice for Veishea would be someone with more airplay that is popular with college students, such as Sugar Ray or Pearl Jam.

Fiddelke said he would be more interested in popular bands, such as last year’s performers, the Goo Goo Dolls.

“I would rather watch something more fun and mainstream that I have heard of before,” he said.

However, Olson said everyone should give Black Eyed Peas a chance.

“Last year, I went to the concert because the tickets were cheap,” he said. “The Goo Goo Dolls were better than what I thought they would be. It’s good to go to a concert that you are unsure of without expectations so you won’t be disappointed.”

Tickets for the show are currently on sale for students at the Stephens Auditorium ticket office. ISU students can buy one student ticket for $5 and one non-student ticket for $8.

Faculty and staff, ISU alumni and Ames residents may purchase two non-student tickets for $8 each starting at 10 a.m. today.

All tickets are reserved seating and will be the same price the day of the show.