Written by Julia Jenkins//Graphic by Sydney Palmer
Ben Rector will headline a concert April 26 in the Benson Auditorium for students, faculty, staff and the general public. Jane Chandler, director of Campus Life, and the Campus Life team have worked hard to make this opportunity possible.
Last fall, Rector announced that he would take his last tour for a while. Upon hearing this, Chandler immediately jumped on the opportunity to see if Harding could be a stop. Though the process was challenging and involved a lot of waiting, Chandler—along with Harding’s booking agent, Jolene Chevalier from How To Concerts—was able to secure Rector for a stand-alone concert on campus.
“I think so many people love his music, but he just felt unattainable for Harding, or, you know, if a Harding student wants to see him, that you need to go somewhere else to see him, you know, like, it’s not here,” Chandler said. “I’m really grateful for Harding for being able to work with us on getting him.”
April will be Rector’s fifth performance at Harding. Students are just as excited as ever for his return. Senior Emily Patterson, a longtime fan, described her reaction upon hearing the news.
“I was so excited,” Patterson said. “I heard some rumors, but I wasn’t sure if they were true because he’s such a big artist now. So I was excited that we were able to get him to come back when he’s gotten so much bigger since the last time he was here.”
Harding has a strong track record of inviting up-and-coming artists—like Taylor Swift and OneRepublic—just before they become more successful. In the past, Ben Rector was one of those emerging artists Harding saw potential in. Now, with his widespread success, his return is even more exciting.
Chandler describes “Harding-core music” as folksy, singer-songwriter style—which perfectly aligns with Rector’s music. Sophomore Sophie Vergne, another huge fan, shared why she thinks his sound resonates with many Harding students.
“I think he just has good everyday music,” Vergne said. “You can study to it, or you can play it in the car. It’s just like, it meets what a lot of people want.”
The concert has been a closely kept secret since mid-January, but tickets are now available at Hardingtickets.com.
“So if you like his music, you will love him live,” Chandler said. “It is so good. I think it’ll be a sweet sendoff for seniors, it’ll be good going into summer–just a great, great artist.”
