An eclectic MIX

If you're one of those people who walks around campus wearing headphones blaring music into your ears, chances are high that you've been hearing a lot about MixFest lately. Or you've at least been hearing lots of music by the seven acts headlining the show. The annual fall music festival presented by the popular adult contemporary radio station MIX 98.5 rolls into the Fleet Center this coming Saturday evening, bringing with it such notable artists as John Mayer, Avril Lavigne, Pink, David Gray, Ruby Horse, Def Leppard, and Tufts' own alumni, Guster.

Though the acts cover a variety of musical genres and eras from teen pop to R&B, the overall target audience of the MIX Fest concert is clear _ the large and diverse Boston college scene.

The radio station markets the concert as a back-to-school bash, strategically scheduling it to be held just as students have settled in to their fall semesters. And many of the artists themselves are rooted in the Boston area _ aside from the members of Guster, who went to Tufts, John Mayer also had a brief stint of studying composition at the Berklee College of Music before his solo career took off.

But while the mission of MIX Fest has remained constant over the years, the format has been slightly altered this year. At least for the past two years, the concert has been an all-day outdoor affair that took place on the fields by Suffolk Downs. Both assigned seating and general admission lawn passes were sold, which allowed students on tight budgets to still enjoy the festivities.

Though the expense of renting out the Fleet Center has caused ticket prices to skyrocket (the top price is a whopping $85), that hasn't seemed to have much of an effect on the popularity of the event. Tickets, which went on sale at the beginning of August, have been sold out for almost two weeks.

The new indoor venue is a first for MIX Fest, though the radio station had a hugely successful "Holiday Hoedown" at the FleetCenter last winter.

"One thing you cannot control about the outdoors is the weather," said Mike Mullaney, the music director of MIX 98.5. "Four of the last five MIX Fests have had heavy rain." Mullaney also explained that holding an outdoor show means that the station must pull in between 30 and 40,000 people.

"In this day and age it's getting harder and harder to find talent to draw that many people," he said. "Asking people to be there the day is a lot to ask...plus with outdoor shows people don't have seats, and our audience isn't really the mosh pit crowd."

MIX is sponsoring a free pre-show for three hours prior to the start of the concert. Beginning at 1 pm on Saturday, the plaza outside of the Fleet Center will come alive with music performed by the Dick N Jane Band, as well as interactive sponsor booths and what the radio station's website calls "a lot of MixFest excitement!"

But the real excitement begins at 5 pm, when the headlining acts take center stage. Canadian teen sensation Avril Lavigne literally brings skater-punk style to the line-up, with her new hit single "Sk8er Boy." The 17-year old is also sure to present her popular first single, "Complicated," as well as other selections from her rockin' album Anything But Ordinary. Lavigne and the popular R&B singer Pink make up the female delegation to the male-dominated concert. Mullaney said that women between the ages of 18 and 34 make up the largest percentage of the station's listeners.

"We get some younger listeners, but we play the '80s so we get the college crowd," he said.

"And we really get the women," he joked.

Other headliners include Guster _ now one of the premier bands in the United States _ as the group makes yet another return trip to the college town where they first met. This time they're joined by another local favorite, Ruby Horse, a group that first gained fame by playing shows at The Burren in Davis Square.

David Gray brings his signature British style to the lineup, while Def Leppard _ the act which Mullaney is most looking forward to _ supplies a vintage 80's twist. And there's always room for Atlanta-born singer/songwriter John Mayer, who quickly made it big on the charts just last year.

"Mayer was the first guy to sign," said Mullaney, who began recruiting artists for MIX Fest almost immediately after last year's concert. "When I first heard him last year I said 'call me a nut but I think he's gonna be a superstar,'" he said.

The station is very happy with this year's lineup of artists, though Mullaney says that he would have really liked for the Dave Matthews Band to play the show. "Every year we want Dave, though he really avoids radio shows... that doesn't mean we don't ask him, though," said Mullaney.

If you haven't gotten your tickets yet, don't fret. MIX 98.5 will continue to offer remaining tickets through radio call-in contests "up until the very last minute," says Mullaney. So if you're the kind of John Mayer fan that can recognize his tunes from the very first few guitar strains, chances are that you've got a pretty good shot at getting yourself a seat _ provided your fingers are quick to the dial.

"It really looks like it's gonna be a great fun show," Mullaney said