Whether through flyers, friends or Facebook, the term “MASHbash” has been popping up all over campus, generating excitement and curiosity in many students. The event will begin at 9 p.m. this Wednesday at Lincoln Square Mall in Urbana.
“Whoever likes to party will be there,” said Matt Meyer, a junior in AHS and an organizer of the event.
If anything, MASHbash is a party that one should want to attend not based on the headliner or on who’s performing, but based on the atmosphere that the party brings, said Derrick Cowit, student at Indiana University and an organizer of the event.
“It’s not necessarily a concert where you stand and watch,” Cowit said. “By attending the event, one essentially becomes the event.”
To create an atmosphere to impress the large crowd expected to attend, the organizers said they really wanted to set this experience apart from what students may already be used to on campus.
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“There are little things about MASHbash that definitely go beyond a regular event,” said Jared Borlack, senior in AHS and one of the organizers the event.
The party will be sponsored by Avion Tequila and will have a guest host from the show The Girls Next Door. DJs will also provide various genres of musical entertainment, from “dubstep” to “mashup,” featuring DJ posi+ive vibr8tions, DJ Nemms, Milk N Cookies and DJ CZO.
One feature that makes MASHbash so unique is its venue — Lincoln Square Mall, a place where many students don’t necessarily flock to.
“We rented out a whole shopping mall,” said Mitchell Schoeneman, student at Indiana University and another organizer of the event. “When designing the concept, we wanted to bring the biggest thing to the University of Illinois. We wanted to do something for the student body that would just be remembered for a long time.”
Many students, like Ben Rakes, freshman in ACES, are already expressing high hopes for the event.
“I’m excited about seeing LMFAO!” Rakes said in an e-mail interview. “I’m expecting this concert to be something I won’t forget anytime soon.”
Because the event is being held a little farther off campus than people are used to, MASHbash will be providing free buses running all night from the event’s “pregame.”
“The free buses are perfect for a lot of people because we know they’re going to stay safe and get home safe,” Borlack said.
The pregame for MASHbash, which includes a DJ and drink specials, will take place from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at The Red Lion in Champaign.
Students will also find comfort knowing that a portion of the ticket sales will be donated to various charities, including the Susan G. Comen Foundation and the Jennifer Lynn Snyder Leadership Fund. Attending MASHbash will not only guarantee students a good time at the most unique event of the year, but it will also make them feel good about giving back to charity, Schoeneman said.
Presale tickets for the event can be purchased for $25 dollars online at mashbashtour.com. Tickets can also be purchased the day of the event at The Red Lion or at the door of the venue for $30.
“Being a senior, it could be my last time to do something like this,” Borlack said. “It’s just a time for everyone you’ve met in the last four years to come celebrate together one last time and have a blast before we all take off.”
