Chicago emcee Chance the Rapper will perform as the daytime headliner at Dillo Day 2014. Chance is the first artist Mayfest has announced for the 2014 edition of the music festival.

Chicago emcee Chance The Rapper will perform as Dillo Day 2014’s daytime headliner, Mayfest announced Thursday.

Chance’s performance is the first musical act announced to perform at Dillo Day, scheduled for May 31. Walk the Moon performed as the daytime headliner last year.

Communication junior Michael Bass, Mayfest’s concerts chair, said the group decided to bring Chance this year after considering a variety of factors and looking at polling results, national trends, and campus interest.

“Chance is someone that’s just been so popular everywhere and at NU and we thought it would be a real great opportunity to capitalize on an artist at the rise of his career,” Bass said. “It just seems like an all-around great act that everyone’s going to love.

Chance, a Chicago native, rose to fame in 2013 after releasing two free online mixtapes, “Acid Rap” and “10 Day.” He is slated to perform at many of the nation’s top music festivals this year, including Coachella, Bonnaroo, Sasquatch and Governors Ball.

Chance will be playing in the second slot this year, running from 3-4 p.m. The show is sponsored in part by Cricket Wireless.

Mayfest co-chair Xander Shepherd, a Weinberg senior, said Mayfest decided to change the daytime headliner from the first slot, like previous years, to the second to give more students the opportunity to attend.

“We just felt that his magnitude warranted being the daytime headliner,” Shepherd said. “We know that he’s going to be an artist that everyone’s going to want to be at so we wanted to be as accommodating as possible.”

Bass said he’s excited for the concert and thinks it will draw a wide range of NU students.

“I think that all of campus is going to be very excited and that everyone really loves him,” Bass said. “He’s up-and-coming so people who are more into less mainstreamed acts really like him but then people who are into mainstream know about him. He has an incredible energy, a very unique sound and is just a really positive, upbeat, fun guy and I think he’s just going to be one of the shining acts in Dillo Day history.”

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Twitter: @beccasavransky

Email: [email protected] northwestern.edu

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