Infamous rapper Vanilla Ice will bring his live set to the Tavern for a free show Wednesday night through Eagle Nights.
Last year, Eagle Nights brought comedian Dustin Diamond, better known as and also billed by Eagle Nights as "Screech," from the early '90s TV show "Saved by the Bell." Diamond brought in approximately 250 AU students.
Eagle Nights Director Kyle Taylor first thought of bringing Vanilla Ice in October of last year. Taylor hopes Vanilla Ice will appeal to the student body in the same nostalgic way.
"It was cool to see [Dustin Diamond], somebody that you sort of watched on TV when you were younger," Taylor said. "I was trying to think of someone who would be of the same type genre of our childhood. We try to go with that same type thing because Eagle Nights is sort of off the cuff. If we brought someone who was big now, it wouldn't really fit what we try to do. It's interesting to see where [Vanilla Ice] is 10 years after ['Ice Ice Baby']."
Several AU students are looking forward to the show.
Sophomore Katie Adams said she hopes Vanilla Ice will be an improvement over Dustin Diamond.
"I had high expectations for Screech, and he broke my heart," Adams said. "It was awful. Awful."
"I can't wait to hear 'Ice Ice Baby,'" said junior Adrienne Bartlewitz. "It's part of our childhood. I think more people will be excited to see [Vanilla Ice] than Screech Powers."
Vanilla Ice has been notoriously bitter about his status as a pop-culture wash-up. When asked if Vanilla Ice had any problems with being grouped together with the likes of "Screech," Taylor said he doesn't think it matters to Vanilla Ice.
"We're a legitimate student organization booking a band with our own money," Taylor said. "It's not to make fun of [Vanilla Ice] at all"
