Issue date: 3/26/09 Section: Greek Week Guide

The Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity performs during Airband on April 5, 2008, in Lantz Arena. (Photos by John Bailey/The Daily Eastern News)

The Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity members perform a dance at Airband during Greek Week on April 5, 2008. This year's event will take place at 1 p.m. Saturday in Lantz Arena.

The first day of Greek Week, fraternities and sororities are put against each other in the lip-synching and dancing competition, Airband.

"The event has been around for a while," said Ryan Swanberg, a host of the event. "There are props and costumes, such as canes, chairs, hats and sometimes even guys dressing up like girls."

The performers are not allowed to have instruments, so instead blow-up guitars are used or actual guitars are used without playing any music.

"All the sound comes from recorded music CDs," Swanberg said. "You can chose up to eight songs, and the performance has to be under five minutes."

Usually the entirety of each song is not used, but instead short clips from the songs are played.

Swanberg said the songs run the gammett from "Barbie Girl" by Aqua to "Wake Me Up" by Wham to "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)" by Big and Rich to "Twist and Shout" by the Beatles and Frank Sinatra.

Songs from Lady Gaga and Styx will also be performed.

"Basically, it is anything from country to rap to rock," Swanberg said.

Kate Kelley, another host of the event, said about 20 fraternities and sororities will compete at Airband, and the EIU Dancers will have a special performance at the end of the competition.

"It's kind of a surprise and they will probably be doing a performance like the ones they do for their regular competitions," Kelley said.

Airband will take place at 7 p.m. Saturday at Lantz Arena.

Tickets are $7 for floor and $5 for balcony.

A trophy will be rewarded to the first-place winner, and plaques will be presented to the second and third place winners.


Heather Holm can be reached at 581-7942 or haholm@eiu.edu.

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