Headlining the Wichita State Student Government Association’s 100th year of service is the much-awaited concert, featuring Joe Nichols and James Otto, this Saturday at 7 p.m.

Grant Rains, the first SGA Programming Committee chairman, was in charge of organizing this event.

The first 3,000 student tickets are free for Shockers, with the remaining tickets being sold at $15 each. SGA has also given away many special floor seats throughout the month.

With the Rhatigan Student Center now open for food sales, SGA officers were seen with a table just last week encouraging students to get their free tickets.

One of the students who received her free ticket while buying lunch in the RSC was Jamila Neal.

“I thought, ‘Why not get a free ticket and go?’” Neal said.

Nichols has released seven studio albums, some of which include the hit songs “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off” and “Gimmie That Girl.”

Otto, who has visited Wichita before, is looking forward to coming back and giving WSU students a show.

“I’ve been playing an instrument since I was in the second grade and singing since I was four years old,” Otto said in a phone interview.

When he was a young boy, Otto found a Yamaha acoustic guitar in the trash and took it home. Because it was such a nice guitar, his mother made him go and ask the trashcan’s owner if Otto was allowed to have it.

Thus began the journey that has brought Otto to where he is now.

“At my shows, I really want people to have a good time,” Otto said. “That’s what I am—I am an entertainer.”

Having performed at several colleges and universities before, Otto said that the atmosphere depends on who the crowd is.

“It depends on the university—some are more fun than others,” Otto said. “If you are playing for a frat party, the atmosphere is different compared to an official school event.”

Otto said his professional music career began when he got out of the Navy in 1995.

Otto knew he wanted to move to Nashville and write music but he didn’t have the necessary means by which to do so and felt the Navy was a good place to learn the skills he needed.

“It was so important for me to have that discipline, and what it gave me was irreplaceable,” Otto said. “Sometimes, if people have that detour to what their ultimate goal is sometimes it’s really good for them.”

Advice from Otto for college students would be to study hard and enjoy their time in college, because “once you get out into the real world, life is not as much fun. Yeah [in college] there’s a lot of work there, but you are almost in between worlds.”

For this Saturday’s concert, Otto had some advice.

“Students, get ready to shake what God gave [you] and forget about all the work load [you] have had during the week,” he said

As of Wednesday, it was estimated that there were between 1,000 and 1,500 free student tickets remaining. SGA will again have a booth in the RSC on Thursday where students can get tickets. They just need to have their Shocker Card.

Tickets can also be picked up at the Koch Arena ticket office until the start of Saturday’s concert.