Ohio University is going “Big Time” with Stephen Kramer Glickman’s upcoming performance!
Glickman, known for his portrayal of Gustavo Rocque on Nickelodeon’s Big Time Rush, will perform with cellist Marza Merophi Wilks in the Baker University Center Ballroom at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 6, in honor of Dad’s Weekend at OU.
Though Glickman is known for his television and film acting, voice acting and stand-up comedy, he’s now adding recording artist to his resume with his first music album, The Moving Company.
The album features 10 covers of songs by artists like Billie Eilish, Post Malone, The Beatles and more. Glickman worked with several artists, like Casey Abrams from American Idol and violinist Jessy Greene.
His music first went viral on TikTok when he released a cover to Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy,” which passed over 500 million plays on the app. He followed up with a music video for the track and is currently working on putting out more videos to correspond with the album’s tracks.
After Glickman connected with The Post to do a Q&A and Instagram Live during the COVID-19 quarantine in 2020, he became interested in finding a way to perform at OU.
“It's a really incredible school,” Glickman said. “In the music community, Ohio University has a really great reputation for music, and I actually have some friends that attended Ohio University … and it just kind of stayed with me. So, when I first started talking to The Post, I was like, ‘Oh, yeah, of course. I know this place.’ And it just made me want to travel and go there to do something.”
The Post is the official media sponsor for the event and worked with the Campus Involvement Center, OHIO Live and University Program Council to bring the event to life.
Glickman’s show will start at 8 p.m., with doors opening at 7 p.m. Masks are required for the event. The format of the performance is “An Evening with Stephen Kramer Glickman,” and he will play some songs, tell some stories and connect with the crowd.
Immediately following the performance is a V.I.P. meet and greet in which fans of Glickman who pay an additional price to the general admission ticket can receive exclusive credentials, head to The Post’s newsroom, have some refreshments and food, take a picture with Glickman and ask him some questions.
“Doing ‘An Evening with Stephen Kramer Glickman,’ this is something I have wanted to do for years and years and have never really found the right way to do it until the album came out,” Glickman said. “And then I was like, ‘Oh, well, now I have an album; I can do songs from the album. I can do songs that we didn't use on the album, and then I can tell stories and have a night of entertainment where it's me doing what I do best. I'm a storyteller by nature. I started experimenting with how that would work and crafted out a show of songs and stories, and I approached the university about what it would be like to do that at the school.”
One of the featured artists on the album is Wilks, a Peruvian-born classical cellist, recording and performing artist, educator and content creator. Wilks has a master’s degree from Julliard and, apart from being a professional cellist, decided to make a TikTok during the coronavirus quarantine. She blew up on TikTok, gaining over 53.5K followers, and actually met Glickman through the app. He reached out to her about a potential collaboration, and then she ended up on his album.
“We had already been talking about different performances that we're going to be doing. It was pushed due to some COVID stuff,” Wilks said. “We’ve got some other performances brewing in the works, but coming to Ohio was one that popped up all of a sudden, and he was like, ‘Hey, we have this opportunity. Are you game?’ And I said, ‘Yep, absolutely game.’ So, it just really fell into place. And he expressed to me, ‘Yeah, I can do it on my own, but it's so much nicer to have not only another person there but also just to have the cello to complement and bring out those baselines.’ So, I was very thrilled to be asked.”
Students are looking forward to enjoying the event with their dads and even with just some friends.
“I’m going to see Stephen primarily because he played one of my absolute favorite television characters,” Allison Irey, a sophomore studying media arts production, said in a message. “I’ve also been following him on social media for many years and listening to his music here and there, and he is so incredibly talented.”
Irey noted how cool she thinks it is that Glickman decided to make the trip out to Athens for the show.
“I don’t know why but that’s so crazy to me,” Irey said in a message. “Like, he’s coming to our school in the middle of the Midwest out of all the places in the US to pick from and I think that’s incredibly special. Also, just being in the same room as Gustavo Rocque himself would probably make 10 year old me cry if she found out.”
Glickman and Wilks are thrilled to bring the show to OU and are excited to bring a range of genres and eras of music to the Dad’s Weekend crowd. They hope to see fans and simply music lovers alike at the show.
“If you've ever wanted to get to know the man behind the yellow sunglasses, this is your way to do that,” Glickman said. “It's a way for everybody to get to know me in a more real way and hear some stories that they've never heard anywhere else.”
For more information or for those looking to purchase tickets, people can visit the OU Performing Arts and Concert series website. General admission is $10, and the V.I.P. experience is an additional $35 or $55 for a signed copy of one of Glickman’s CDs.
Big Time Rush is available to stream on Paramount+ and Netflix.
From The Post:
Stephen Kramer Glickman brings meaningful music to OU
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| A full house of audience members listen to Glickman, accompanied on-stage with cellist Marza Wilks in Baker Center Ballroom. |
The Baker University Center’s ballroom was packed with people, illuminated with colorful lights and filled with soulful sounds Saturday night. At 8 p.m, Stephen Kramer Glickman performed at Ohio University, uniting the students and people of Athens for his first-ever live concert.
Not only did Glickman purchase his first piece of OU merchandise, but he was able to experience the love and excitement many in Athens feel for him. Some came to OU this weekend for Dad’s Weekend, but some, like Scott Williams, an OU alumnus, and his daughter, Sammy, came specifically for Glickman’s performance.
Scott brought his daughter from Dublin, Ohio, because of her love for Nickelodeon's Big Time Rush, and they even arrived over an hour early to make sure they scored front row seats.
“I’ve been obsessed with Big Time Rush since it came out,” Sammy said. “I was there (for the) first episode.”
For many, Glickman’s performance was a time of remembrance and recollection of childhood memories. The night started off with an introduction from Riley Runnells, The Post’s culture editor. Together, The Post, the Campus Involvement Center, OHIO Live and University Program Council pulled off the event.
For Kaycie Tillis, a freshman studying psychology, this was a moment to see an idol of hers in-person.
“I literally invited Stephen Kramer Glickman to my graduation party,” Tillis said. “I’m very excited because he’ll probably recognize me. He commented on my TikTok.”
Glickman was joined by Marza Merophi Wilks, a Peruvian-born cellist, recording artist, educator and content creator. The duo started with the song that gave Glickman his TikTok fame: Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy.”
After the first song, Glickman went on to explain how he went through a break-up and, because he “couldn’t cut bangs,” he recorded his album, The Moving Company, to cope.
Every song performed had a story and a meaning to Glickman, and he could only hope some of his picks resonated with others as well. Glickman promoted the idea of how one should always be their most “organic self” and shared stories of his time as Gustavo on Big Time Rush and laugh-inducing encounters with other celebrities.
Other songs performed include Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever,” Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb,” Elton John’s “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” The Beatles’ “The Long and Winding Road,” a mash-up of Rihanna’s “Stay” and Justin Bieber and The Kid LAROI’s “Stay” and Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love.”
Glickman asked for song requests from the audience, and an astounding number of audience members insisted on Big Time Rush’s “Boyfriend.” Glickman performed some of the song and claimed when the guys from Big Time Rush found out, they “were going to kill him.”
Throughout the whole performance, the audience was cheering constantly, and Glickman was in disbelief of their reactions. He kept repeating how the performance was “so much fun.”
To end the night, Glickman performed “Worldwide” by Big Time Rush. The song earned Glickman and Wilks a sea of phone flashlights waving in the air followed by a standing ovation.
Many went into the performance not knowing what to expect, such as Hailey Fisher, a freshman studying forensic chemistry. Although she was unsure about what would happen at the beginning of the night, Fisher said she absolutely loved everything about how it turned out.
“It was very fun,” Fisher said. “Hearing him play ‘Boyfriend’ and ‘Worldwide’ from Big Time Rush, it's so exciting. I actually am going to see Big Time Rush (in concert) in September, so it feels like it completed the entire thing.”
Amid a cheering crowd, Stephen Kramer Glickman shows gratitude for the echoing applause in the Baker University Center Ballroom at the end of his evening show on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021.
Glickman was over the moon about how the night went, saying it “couldn’t have gone better.” Performance-wise, Glickman praised Wilks’ cello playing and the audience’s engagement and encouragement. He was thankful to have played somewhere like OU.
“My people are like the people that grew up watching me on television,” Glickman said. “If I can get them to accept me as this, then that would be great because then I can be both things; I can be a part of their childhood, and I can be a part of the music that they like in some way.”
After the performance, people who bought VIP tickets were able to meet and interact with Glickman and Wilks. It was full of smiles, conversation and food. All in all, the night ended with an impacted audience and a thankful Glickman.
“Music really became a huge, huge part of my life, which is awesome, but it was really nice having friends’ support and family support,” Glickman said. “And then being able to actually get on stage and do a concert and have a gigantic-like, packed-out room … it’s really rad.”
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More Nick: Big Time Rush Announces Reunion Tour!
Original source: November 03, 2021.
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