The 2018 Double Decker lineup was unveiled at a press conference Thursday, naming Cold War Kids as its headlining act and announcing Double Decker’s partnership with the University of Mississippi Student Activities Association this year.
Director of SAA Bradley Baker and executive director Brady Ruffin approached Double Decker coordinator Lee Ann Stubbs in the fall about a partnership. In lieu of a spring concert in the Grove, SAA will collaborate with Double Decker.
“This year, we are extremely excited to collaborate with Double Decker Arts Festival as a stage and headliner music sponsor. With this opportunity, we are showcasing our strong connection with the City of Oxford and Visit Oxford, as well as our strong commitment to providing quality entertainment to all Ole Miss students,” Ruffin said. “We would like to invite all University of Mississippi students to meet us a Double Decker and participate in one of the best weekend Ole Miss and Oxford has to offer.”
University of Mississippi Museum was announced as a presenting sponsor at the press conference, a title gifted by Ole Miss Athletics, which sponsored the festival last year and chose to partner with UM Museum this year to shed light on other campus departments.
“We are thrilled and really honored to be the presenting sponsor, given now to the University Museum. We think it’s a great way to talk about collaboration not only on our campus but within our community,” Vice Chancellor of Collegiate Athletics Ross Bjork said. “In Athletics, we feel we have an obligation to be a leader in different areas.”
Robert Saarnio, director of UM Museum, expressed his gratitude to the Athletics Department for its “exceptional gesture.”
Mary Allen Hedges, director of Visit Oxford, spoke about her excitement to partner with Ole Miss more closely for Double Decker this year.
“(Members of SAA) have made our music headliner possible this year, which has really helped us take the music talent to the next level, and we were able to increase the budget significantly there,” she said. “And it just made sense for the University Museum, who is one of our great partners, to become a part of the festival.”
Sarah Catherine Dosset of Studio Whimzy created the official Double Decker artwork for the 2018 poster, which was unveiled at the press conference. The artwork features phone booths, Proud Larry’s and the courthouse with William Faulkner in the window.
Kate Teague, director and producer of Thacker Mountain Radio, explained that TMR will open on the “Student Activities Association Stage,” or the main stage, Friday night after Liz Brasher, a Memphis-based soul act, performs to kick off the festival.
The musical lineup includes acts like Houndmouth, Tank and the Bangas, Squirrel Nut Zippers, as well as a number of local and more widely known artists.
“We’re excited about the lineup,” Teague said. “We think it will set a great precedent for the rest of the weekend.”
