The Nashville-bred, electro-indie duo “Cherub” will perform at 9 p.m. tonight The Lyric Oxford. Denver producer and DJ Maddy O’Neal is the opener for the techno duo on their 2018 tour “Free Form,” and the two acts plan to blend their styles together on The Lyric stage.
Jordan Kelley and Jason Huber formed Cherub in 2010. Before Cherub, Kelley played in various bands and Huber wrote what would later become their first album, “Man of the Hour.”
In 2012, Kelley and Huber released the hit song “Doses and Mimosas,” which attracted the public and later landed them a record deal with Columbia Records. The duo now has 130 million Spotify streams and a gold record. Since then, Kelley and Huber have played all around the world and completed three U.S. tours, including performances at Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo music festivals.
Nicole Sardi, a senior marketing major, works as The Lyric’s marketing intern and has high hopes for the show.
“Cherub always puts on a stellar performance, and they love coming back to Oxford,” Sardi said. “I know many students really like their vibe, and this is going to be a hot show to attend.”
Elijah Gaddy, film and digital media major, said he has been a fan of Cherub for many years and is eager for their arrival to Oxford.
“I have been a fan of Cherub since high school, so I am super excited to finally see them live for the first time,” Gaddy said. “Many of their songs are nostalgic to me because they hold a lot of good memories of good times growing up. I cannot wait to make a few more on Thursday.”
Earlier this year, Cherub released four new singles: “Want That,” with a video directed by lead singer Huber, “All In,” “Dancing Shoes” and “Body Language.” The duo’s new collection adopts multiple genres while still keeping the style that its fans love.
Cherub’s opener, Maddy O’Neal, started making music in 2010 and began her solo project two years ago. O’Neal comes from a “rock ‘n’ roll family” and has a passion for old school hip-hop. She said she uses her family’s background in music to help develop her diverse electronic genre. Her single, “Wanna Know,” has 49,000 plays on SoundCloud.
O’Neal said she has never played in Mississippi but has had musician friends play here, and she is eager to play in new territory.
“I expect nothing less than the rest of the tour, which has been amazing,” O’Neal said. “The vibes are high.”
