Folk-rock group The David Mayfield Parade will perform this afternoon in the Hub as part of UCSB Arts & Lectures’ second-annual Student Appreciation Event.

Frontman David Mayfield is a Grammy-nominated musician who has worked with artists such as the Avett Brothers and the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach. The event begins at 3 p.m. and is free for all UCSB students.

Third-year feminist and global studies major Ashley Richardson, part of Arts & Lectures’ Cultural Ambassadors program, said the annual concert began last year as a way for the organization to thank students and garner support for the ballot measure to reaffirm their lock-in fee in the upcoming student elections.

“This event is for A&L to express their appreciation and gratitude for the students’ overwhelming support during the election last season, in which students voted to reaffirm a portion of student fees to be allocated towards A&L,” Richardson said in an email.

Growing up, Mayfield said he spent time in Kent, Ohio and Nashville, Tennessee, where he was first introduced to bluegrass music. In 2008, Mayfield began to tour with younger sister Jessica Lea Mayfield as a part of the band Cadillac Sky.

Mayfield said he adopts a pragmatic approach to his live performances and ultimately strives to remain sincere.

“I think of a performance as a service just like a plumber or an electrician. People come to a show and they want to be entertained, and that’s the service I provide,” Mayfield said. “It’s more about interacting and entertaining.”

His collaborative work in Barry Scott’s album “In God’s Time” was nominated for a Grammy in the Southern Gospel category the following year. The David Mayfield Parade was formed in 2010 when the Avett Brothers first became aware of Mayfield’s talent.

According to A&L Program-ming Manager Heather Silva, The David Mayfield Parade was first considered through its relation with the Avett Brothers’ agent, who also represents Mayfield’s band. She said the band was ultimately chosen because it seemed they would appeal to UCSB students.

“We thought between the style of their presentation and the type of music that they’re playing it’d be a natural fit to use as our annual student appreciation event,” Silva said. “He’s a performer that has a lot of energy.”

Print