Drexel University’s Pi Kappa Phi fraternity is hosting a show headlining Swedish disc jockey Alesso Saturday, Feb. 18 at 8 p.m. in the Armory. Tickets are $35 and open to the public. Attendees must be 18 years or older.
DJ Alesso, the DJ to look out for in 2012, was discovered by Swedish house music group Swedish House Mafia. The Swedish DJ is well known for his remix of “Pressure,” released in 2011. Other singles include “Raise Your Head,” “Loose It” and “Calling (Lose My Mind),” featuring Sebastian Ingrosso. In 2011 he was ranked 70th on DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJ list. Alesso is also an electronic music producer.
This event is DJ Alesso’s debut in Philadelphia.
The show also features house music artists Kap Slap, Dubsef, Zenbi and DJ duo LA Riots.
All event profits will be donated to Pi Kappa Phi’s national philanthropy, Push America. The philanthropy hosts events and raises money to help people with disabilities. Push America has raised over $15 million for its cause.
“The program works directly with the kids, [making] it more accessible to children with disabilities,” David Polinow, chapter president of Pi Kappa Phi, said.
What makes this event unique is that it is completely student-run and open to the public. The event was paid for with approximately $10,000 in donations from Pi Kappa Phi alumni and brothers. Polinow called the process a good learning experience for the fraternity.
“[We dealt] with the different backchannels of Drexel. …There were a lot of pieces that needed to come together,” Polinow, who hopes to raise $25,000, said.
The fraternity is proud that Drexel is hosting the DJ Alesso show. Given the high profile of the event and the amount of attendees, the fraternity was limited with venue options. This was one of the factors that led to the decision to hold the event in the Armory.
“It’s a way to bring recognition to the school around Philly and also a way to bring the Drexel community together on their own campus on the weekend, which there aren’t many opportunities to do,” Polinow wrote in an email.
Polinow has been working with Art of Electronica, an electronic music promotion company that is planning and marketing the event. The local company has brought acts such as Dayglow, Dancegiving and Avicii to the Philadelphia area.
“Through their experience and promotion network, combined with that of Pi Kappa Phi, the outreach for this has been huge,” Polinow wrote.
The event is also sponsored by Let’s Rage Clothing.
The fraternity held a presale for college students, which quickly sold out. Approximately 3,000 attendees are expected from as far as Massachusetts.
For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/events/305505406158984/.