SUU Brings Up-and-Coming Band to Cedar City

Two years after their self-titled debut album, the pop duo MKTO will take the stage in Southern Utah University's Centrum Arena on November 5, at 7:30 p.m.

SUUSA Executive Marketing Director KarLee Hirschi said the SUU Student Programming Board and Community Relations selected the band through student surveys and focus groups; and said most students know the band through their hit "Classic," but few know how these two got their start.

Before their time in music, group members Malcolm Kelley and Tony Oller met in 2010 on the set of Nickelodeon's Gigantic, where their characters fittingly played best friends. They also can be recognized from Kelley's appearance on ABC's Lost and Oller's time on Disney's As the Bell Rings.

Their name "MKTO" came from combining the two's initials, but it's also said to carry a deeper meaning. The band told a New Zealand radio station The Edge that MKTO fittingly stands for "Misfit Kids and Total Outcasts."

After forming their duo, the two signed with Columbia Records and released their debut single "Thank You." The 2013 song was the first to show their pop/hip-hop crossover sound, and has since reached almost 19 million views on YouTube. The single has also reached top ten in both Australian and New Zealand singles charts.

Vice President of Alumni and Community Relations, Mindy Benson, said that this up-and-coming band has music that students will and do love, including multiple radio hits.

SUU Student Programming Board Event Director Samantha Cress said the band puts on an outstanding show that students will enjoy, and the duo have already reached out to students.

"They made a video specifically for SUU," said Cress. "They just have this atmosphere that they are so positive and have so much energy."

Students can purchase up to two $15 tickets with their students IDs. Community members can also attend the concert for $25 a ticket. For tickets and information about the event go to Tbirdtickets.com, or visit/call the SUU Box Office at (435) 586-7872.

About Southern Utah University

Southern Utah University (1897) evolved from a teacher training institution to Utah's designated public liberal arts and sciences university, offering over 140 undergraduate programs and ten master's degrees. With world class project based learning, unique undergraduate research opportunities, and a personalized learning environment (18:1) students lead projects mentored by professors. True to the University's core vision, SUU faculty, staff and administrators enable students to honor thought in all its finest forms, achieve excellence in their chosen field, and create positive change in the world.

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