When Dan Mahr '11 first heard of Gunther and his "Tra la la" four years ago, he knew that Gunther "wasn't just a musician. He wasn't just a DJ - he was an idea. He was a way of life."
On Wednesday night, Alumnae Hall was filled with more than 600 Brown and Rhode Island School of Design students who had come to witness Gunther's "way of life" in person for $10 a ticket, at a show hosted by the Freshman Class Board. About 60 people even purchased coveted VIP tickets for $35 so that they could meet Gunther and the Sunshine Girls in person and have a picture taken with them.
The stage was barren but for a lighting system in the background, and Gunther and his Sunshine Girls only lip-synced for about an hour. But the crowd seemed satisfied. He played all of his hit songs, including "Ding Dong Song," "Tutti Frutti Summer Love" and "Teeny Weeny String Bikini." Gunther even gave Brown students a taste of a brand new song that will be hitting the Internet in a few weeks.
"It was great," Matthew Bubley '09 said. "It was hilarious."
"It was worth it," said VIP ticket holder Michael Robinson '08. "It was a wonderful show, and Gunther is just as amazing, as I always expected."
The VIP reception that took place after Gunther and the Sunshine Girls performed was well-stocked with soda, water and snacks. VIPs received posters of Gunther and were able to have a photo taken with him and the girls. Many VIP ticket holders also got Gunther's autograph.
"I think a part of the reason people like him is ... they don't know if he's being real or not, but either way they enjoy the music," said Mayar Zokaei, Gunther's North American agent. "I don't know of any other singers that have benefited more from the Internet than Gunther."
In spite of Gunther's popularity, the concert-goers still had some cause to complain - the concert started over an hour late.
Neil Parikh '11, treasurer of the Freshman Class Board, said that Zokaei arrived for the sound check an hour later than had been agreed in the contract.
"So the entire schedule was delayed," Parikh said. "I mean, we were ready at 6:30 p.m. All of our staff was here, and everything was ready to go, and then when the sound check was done, Gunther's agent went down to the hotel with the car they rented to pick up Gunther, but on the way back they kept getting lost."
In the end Vikram Kedar '11, president of the Freshman Class Board, said he ran about half a mile in order to guide Gunther and the Sunshine Girls to Alumnae Hall.
Despite the long delay, Ameer Ameeri '08 only had one complaint. "I wish Gunther took his jacket off."
It took some work for first-years Kedar and Parikh to bring Gunther and his Sunshine Girls to Brown.
The Freshman Class Board receives a yearly budget of $1,000, but the Gunther concert cost about $13,500 in total, with $8,800 going straight to Gunther and the Sunshine Girls, they said.
"I actually called up the agent for the first time in late December and he gave me the estimate of $15,000," Kedar said.
"We knew we had to bring that down. Over the months, Gunther's manager and I have gotten pretty close," he said. "And he texts me."
Gunther had just performed in Boston on Tuesday, "so we just told his agent it's a 45-minute drive and you get an extra $9,000," Kedar said.
"He still wanted $12,000 but we brought it down to $9,000 which was great," he added.
Last year, Yale paid Gunther about $16,500 to perform, Parikh said.
The duo, along with the rest of Freshman Class Board, was able to keep ticket prices affordable by partnering with the RISD Office of Student Life, which contributed $4,000, and soliciting an $1,800 donation from the Undergraduate Finance Board. The rest of the costs were covered by ticket sales.
Gunther, accompanied by two Sunshine Girls and his managers, came to Brown with three wireless microphones and boxes full of Gunther T-shirts, Parikh said. Lighting and sound was provided by Musik Mayhem, he added.
The Class Boards have not planned an event of this magnitude in recent years, but Kedar said they would like to continue. He said he has already started planning events for next year.
