The Tufts Beelzebubs (the Bubs) will perform on ABC's "Good Morning America" in Times Square on Wednesday morning at 7 a.m.
According to the group's Business Manager VinnyAmaru, the Bubs received an email from ABC inviting them to participate in the channel's College Week, a back-to-school series of performances from a cappella, theater, cheerleading and marching band groups.
"One of the days they wanted to highlight a cappella - and who else [is there] to call when you are thinking of college a cappella but the Bubs?" sophomore Bubs member Carl Haber said. "This is a huge honor for us."
The Bubs will perform for approximately 40 seconds and feature three songs, Amaru, a junior, said. He explained that the group offered up its repertoire and in return were asked to perform one of the songs on the list in addition to two new pieces requested by ABC.
"They came back and said, 'We'd like you to do "Everybody Talks" [by Neon Trees], and then we'd actually like you to do two new songs that you guys don't even know yet,'" Amaru said.
The Bubs learned Florida Georgia Line's "Cruise" for the performance, as well as Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream," which the Bubs last sang a year ago, according to Bubs President Jason Williams.
The Bubs' three newest members will be unable to accompany them for logistical reasons, having joined one week ago, Williams, a junior, added.
"It would be so much to ask of them to learn at the pace that we learn - to learn how to perform in two days," he said. "You don't get it the first time, so if their first time was on live, national television, that's probably not fair,"
This Wednesday's performance will be the Bubs' second performance on "Good Morning America" since 2008, when the group was called for a last-minute show.
This year, the group plans to take a train to New York on Tuesday evening. They will wake up at 5:15 a.m. the next morning to arrive on set and receive pre-show instructions before it goes live at 7 a.m., Amaru said.
Williams was impressed with Amaru's ability to sort out the details of the trip in such little time.
"I feel like this process has been crunched so much," Williams said. "Normally people try to book gigs months or, honestly ... years in advance ... and [Amaru] took care of it in a week's time."
Amaru agreed that the process of booking the gig was more work than he first anticipated, stating that he has sent over 68 emails in the last few days.
"It's a lot more complicated," he said. "I really thought it would be a done deal in about five emails."
Despite the work involved in scheduling the gig, the Bubs expressed excitement for Wednesday's performance.
"When [the "Good Morning America" agent] sent our hotel confirmations and our travel confirmations, it was like, 'This is actually going to happen. We are actually going to do this,'" Amaru said.
Williams echoed Amaru's sentiments.
"I think this is something the Bubs needed - a little bit of a rejuvenation, something to really spring board off of," Williams said. "What better way than millions of people watching you on live TV?"
