Bryce Vine, from Los Angeles, is bringing the party to Wilkes University for a performance at 8 p.m. on the River Common at Wilkes University on Friday, Sept. 25. Vine will be setting the tone for the show by opening up for Hoodie Allen, who was last seen in NEPA as part of the Boyz of Zummer Tour with Fall Out Boy and Wiz Khalifa on July 4 at The Pavilion at Montage Mountain.

You probably have no idea who Vine is, but he’s excited about that. The reason the 26-year-old singer/rapper/songwriter, who iHeart Radio referred to as Travie McCoy meets Childish Gambino, is because touring colleges in the first place is so he can introduce his music to the market he feels is the most hungry for something new.

“They’re the ones trying to find new music that isn’t on the radio,” Vine said about college students. “Most of these kids probably haven’t heard of my music. But I love watching that moment where they listen to my music for the first time and I get to watch them become fans.”

Vine said he was originally from New York City but moved to Los Angeles when he was ten. Here’s a fun fact: His mother, actress Tracey Ross, played Dr. Eve on the NBC soap opera, “Passions.”

Art seemed to have run in his blood. At 13, he said he picked up a guitar and never stopped playing music. He even studied music at Berkely College of Music in Boston after high school, from 2008 to 2010.

Now with iHeart Radio selecting him as a Next Up artist in August 2015 and with his debut EP, “Lazy Fair,” now available on iTunes, he’s ready to make his own waves in the entertainment industry.

He describes his music as smart party anthems. “It’s not just fluff,” he said. Vine said he prides himself on his range to cross between genres such as rap, pop and jazz. “If you’re trying to be an artist, and you only play one kind of music, you’ll never create anything new,” Vine said. Even his DJ, Skizz Marquee, plays the trumpet during their set.

Not only will Vine kick off a Friday night with a party anthem, but there’s a chance he’ll actually even show up at your party — as long as you’re 21 years old.

Vine said he recently performed at Arizona State University and was surprised to be invited to a party in his honor.

“These guys were tweeting that they wanted to throw an after party following my show,” Vine said. “It was a nice gesture. When I went in with my DJ, Skizz Marquee, I was picturing a couple of us just kicking it. We walked in this apartment on the top floor of a building and there was 150 people partying in there. Music loud. Lots of alcohol. People dancing all over the place. Beer pong. And they were playing my music. And then it became an even nicer gesture.”

Vine says his performance at Wilkes will hopefully remind the audience they’re never be younger than they are right now, so they might as well enjoy it.

Admission for the show is free for students and non-students.

Follow Vine on Instagram and Twitter @brycevine and on SnapChat @bvine.

Reach Justin Adam Brown at 570-991-6652 or on Twitter @wkdr

Why this up and coming artist is touring colleges to collect new fans

By Justin Adam Brown

jbrown@timesleader.com

Bryce Vine
http://www.theweekender.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_BRYCE1.jpg.optimal.jpgBryce Vine Photo courtesy Nikko Lamere