Trask Coliseum will be the place to be on Wednesday as nationally acclaimed band Vertical Horizon will be performing thanks to the efforts of the Association for Campus Entertainment (ACE).

“Putting on a concert depends on a lot of different elements,” said Ian Martin, Program Coordinator for ACE. “We use the revenue from each concert to put towards the next show so that it costs less in student fees.”

Vertical Horizon was chosen from a list of ten popular bands by students polled in a random survey conducted by ACE members. Over 1,000 surveys were completed by students in class and in the Hawk’s Nest. Vertical Horizon received the second highest number of votes. Shaggy, the most popular in the survey by 40 votes, was unable to perform at UNCW.

“Ticket sales so far have been phenomenal,” Martin said. “We have already sold about 1,000 tickets and the majority are students, but we traditionally have a lot of last-minute buyers.”

Junior Evan Vetter has already bought his tickets for the show. He saw Vertical Horizon when they performed at the House of Blues last spring and said it was a good show. “I’m going because I would like to support ACE by going to one of their shows, and I’ve seen the band before. Even though they are a pop-rock band, they can rock out and I think they are musically talented,” Vetter said.

The band first attained commercial success with their title track off of their latest CD, “Everything You Want.”

Keith Kane is the founding member of Vertical Horizon. As an undergraduate at Georgetown University, he used to play weekly at a local club. These solo performances impressed a group of people so much that they asked him to play at a party. At this particular party, Kane met Matt Scannell. At the time, Scannell was a member of a band called Fallout Shelter. The two decided to play together at the party. With this initial jam session, the core of Vertical Horizon was born.

In 1992, Kane and Scannell graduated from Georgetown University. Out of school, the two decided that music was their only passion in life. In the New England area, Kane and Scannell worked at various golf courses in order to earn enough money to make their first CD. They achieved their goal over just one summer and made their debut CD entitled, “There and Back Again.”

After the CD was released, the band Jackopierce asked Vertical Horizon to join them on tour for two weeks. Their performances were so well received by audiences that Jackopierce asked them to stay for a third week. Vertical Horizon has since gone on to tour with such bands as Dave Matthews Band, the Allman Brothers and Third Eye Blind.

Their sophomore album, “Running on Ice,” was released in 1995. Their sound was expanding from just featuring the vocals and guitar stylings of Kane and Scannell, to featuring keyboards, drums, and bass. Carter Beauford, of Dave Matthews Band, played the drums on this album. The band utilized different musicians for various periods of time. Ed Toth became the permanent drummer for the band when he blew Kane and Scannell away during an audition.

Their third album, “Live Stages,” was released in 1996. This album showcased a more complete sound that is today Vertical Horizon. Sean Hurley, a bass guitarist, was added permanently to the band in 1998. Their latest album, “Everything You Want,” was released in 1999. The band has changed drastically from a solo Kane to an entire ensemble featuring bass and drums.

The band continues to be successful with hits like “You’re a God” and “We Are” from the CD “Everything You Want.” With this album, they have accumulated a wide fan base as well as critical success.