Posted Thursday, Aug. 11, 11:36 p.m. Robert Randolph and the Family Band, a guitar-driven jam band that has toured with the Dave Matthews Band and Rob Thomas, will headline this year’s Fall Fest on Sept. 4.

“They play a lot of different types of music,” said Tyler Coffey, executive chair of the Program Board. “It will be very relaxed.
We’re hoping for good food and a chill time, and that people will show up, relax and enjoy the show.”

The group’s music is inspired by 1970s acts such as Sly and the Family Stone and Earth Wind and Fire. Coffey refused to say how much it cost to book the band. He said the Program Board makes the choice for Fall Fest by creating a list of performers within the group’s budget range and then bids on those performers for the show – whomever accepts the bid first becomes the Fall Fest act.

Coffey said that as usual, there will be a yet-to-be-determined local band performing as an opening act. Program Board also plans on including more student acts.

“We’re going to have some student performing groups – a cappella groups and possibly dance groups,” Coffey said. “That’s going to be our biggest change for Fall Fest, that we’ll have more student participation.”