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Singer Ke$ha canceled her March 14 appearance at Loyola due to an extended stay needed for rehabilitation.

Photo courtesy of Becky-Sullivan/Flickr

After tickets sold out in less than 18 hours, guest singer Ke$ha cancelled her Colossus performance at Loyola.

“I was so looking forward to performing at these dates but I need to follow my Doctor’s advice and get my health back on track,” said the singer in a statement released Tuesday, making reference to her ongoing battle with an eating disorder.

In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, Loyola’s Department of Programing ((dop)) said it is arranging for an alternative date for the performance, possibly moving it to October.

“We will honor all current Ke$ha ticket purchases and are exploring our options for a Colossus replacement for this spring,” the statement read.

The pop star, who checked into rehab on Jan. 3, decided to extend her 30-day stay at the Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center, the same place where fellow singer Demi Lovato sought help in 2010. The private, women-only facility is located about 30 miles southwest of Chicago in Lemont, Ill.

Ke$ha also cancelled her March and April performances in Indiana and Wisconsin, according to her official website.

Last Thursday, Jan. 30, balloons peppered the air and students screamed when ((dop)) made the announcement that the 26-year-old singer was coming to Colossus at the reveal party in the Damen Student Center. Within seconds of the reveal, the line to buy tickets extended from the Damen Student Center Information Desk into the Norville Center.

After the reveal party at Damen, ((dop))’s Mainstage Director Kimberly Marroquin said she did not have any reason to believe the singer would cancel the show, and that she was excited that Loyola’s Colossus was to be the singer’s comeback show.

According to ((dop)), all 4,000 tickets for Ke$ha’s March 14 concert sold out by Friday, Jan. 31, while many were still available for the March 15 performance by comedian Mike Birbiglia. In light of Ke$ha’s cancellation, ticket holders will be emailed more details regarding reimbursement and rescheduling. Birbiglia’s performance is still happening as scheduled, according to ((dop)).

According to her official website, Ke$ha — born Kesha Rose Sebert — is an American singer-songwriter and rapper whose debut album, Animal, was released in 2010. She is also well-known for her recent duet with rapper Pitbull for his song “Timber,” which is listed at No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot 100, one of the American Music Magazine’s internationally recognized record charts.

While many students were not immediately familiar with Birbiglia, most knew Ke$ha and were surprised and excited that Loyola’s ((dop)) was able to get a big music industry name.

According to Marroquin, 21, this year brings several changes to Colossus.

In the past, tickets were $5 per show, but this year, ticket prices had to increase in order to accommodate such a big show, said Marroquin, a junior criminal justice and criminology major. Concert tickets are now $12 for students and tickets for the comedy show are $10, and students are able to purchase up to four tickets per show. At the reveal party, combo tickets were sold for $17, but that option was a one-night deal and is no longer available.

As for other changes, in addition to current students, Loyola faculty, staff and alumni can also purchase tickets online or at the Damen Student Info Desk.

“We are taking Colossus and ((dop)) to a whole other level,” Marroquin said. “We are really challenging each other.”

Tickets for comedian Mike Birbiglia can be purchased online (www.luc.edu/colossus) or at the Damen Student Info Desk for $10. Cash, credit or Rambler Bucks are accepted.

Mike Birbiglia is an American comedian currently living in New York. According to his biography on Billboard.com, Birbiglia has released three albums with Comedy Central Records: Two Drink Mike, My Secret Public Journal: Live, and Sleepwalk With Me: Live. Billboard listed Birbiglia’s My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend — his 2011 one-man show — as the No. 10 top selling comedy album on their latest charts.

Colossus 2014 will now take place on March 15 in Gentile Arena.

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