George Clanton is set to be the opener for Bacchanal on April 5, as announced in an Instagram reel on Tuesday soundtracked to the artist’s song “Justify Your Life.” Bacchanal separately announced supporting artist Ravyn Lenae in a Wednesday Instagram reel.

Clanton, a Virginia native, is known for founding an independent record label, pioneering music festivals like the 2019 100% ElectroniCON, and leading innovations in “internet music” culture. His music sits at the intersection of vaporwave and electropop, an amalgamation of samples—often featuring smooth jazz and electronic tunes meant to induce a feeling of nostalgia. Having amassed over 800,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, Clanton’s most streamed tracks include “Summer 2000 Baby” and “Everything Blue.”

“As Bacchanal is a hallmark of spring at Columbia, it felt like a no-brainer for us to open the show with George Clanton, who just dropped a joint LP with TV Girl that epitomizes summertime bliss. This dynamic project, in my mind, pays homage to a range of electronic sub-genres and sounds from decades past. Additionally, I’m inspired by his total commitment to DIY, which is evident in both his sound and image,” Isaac Cole-Frieman, CC ’25, Bacchanal’s co-concert chair, wrote in a statement to Spectator.

Clanton is set to tour the United States this spring. His most recent work includes a collaborative album with TV Girl in 2024, titled “Fauxllennium.” Brad Petering, TV Girl’s frontman, has been a friend and collaborator of Clanton’s for over a decade. Clanton’s songs have graced Spotify’s “Lorem” and “ALT NOW” playlists, highlighting the rise of indie and alternative musicians. He is also known by the monikers Mirror Kisses, ESPRIT 空想, and Kid’s Garden, which he has used to further explore the vaporwave genre. Clanton is signed to 100% Electronica, a record label he established alongside his wife Lindsey French, who releases music under the name Neggy Gemmy—short for “Negative Gemini.”

“[I was] a really big fan of his before they even announced it — I discovered him through the record with TV girl and I’ve listened to a lot of his stuff. Going to be cool to play the same space as him, we have very different styles but I think the aesthetic pairing will be fun,” Leo Jergovic, CC ’25, one of the students behind TheFleok, wrote in a statement to Spectator.

On March 4, Bacchanal posted a mirror selfie on Instagram of a girl with a pink phone case and Victoria’s Secret PINK sweatpants as a hint to who the opener may be. The image, found on the subreddit r/selfie, was a reference to the album cover of Clanton’s “100% Electronica,” which features a mirror selfie of his own.

In an interview with UPROXX Studios, Clanton named New York City as his favorite place in the world to perform. He has another show at Webster Hall in the East Village on May 3.

“I was honestly surprised that [Bacchanal] chose an opener who I associate with having a bit of a cult following. I actually already had tickets to see George Clanton in May so I guess now I’ll get to see him twice. Bacchanal is one of the few days on campus where we get to embrace feeling carefree and ring in the warmer weather and his music really embodies that energy for me,” Alex Kuhl, SEAS ʼ25, wrote in a statement to Spectator.

Bacchanal also announced that one of the supporting acts would be Lenae, an R&B musician with nearly six million monthly listeners on Spotify. Lenae, signed to Atlantic Records, hails from Chicago and has landed a spot in the global Spotify Viral 100 for her song “Love Me Not,” which was featured in Bacchanal’s post. She has collaborated with the likes of Steve Lacy, Childish Gambino, Kaytranada, and Ty Dolla $ign, and even has a remixed song with 2023 Bacchanal performer Doechii, called “Xtasy.”

“I actually gasped when I saw the Ravyn Lenae announcement. I’ve been listening to “Love Me Not” all semester and can’t wait to see her on stage!!” Kopal Anand, BC ʼ26, wrote in a statement to Spectator.

Lenae is also on tour, with other New York shows on April 1 and 2. Her sophomore album, “Bird’s Eye,” was executively produced by DJ Dahi, who has worked with Kendrick Lamar. Lenae’s sound, smooth and spatial with futurist, synth-funk elements, appears complementary to Clanton’s. Her stylistic influences range from Erykah Badu to Gwen Stefani to Nelly Furtado. She has performed on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, and she previously opened for SZA on the CTRL tour.

“I’ve been a huge fan of Ravyn’s since 2018 and have gotten to see her live and meet her, so having her for Bacchanal feels like a full circle moment. She has such a singular sound and is so talented, as well as just an incredibly genuine person. She’s really having a breakout moment right now, which is apparent by the level of excitement we’ve received from her announcement,” Ty Nagvajara, CC ’25, Bacchanal’s secretary, wrote in a statement to Spectator.

Bacchanal tickets began rolling out on March 10 for undergraduate seniors, with four more releases on March 12, 25, 26, and 28. Ticket drops will be done by school on March 12 and 25 and will open to undergraduates in general on the latter two dates. The virtual tickets will allow entry to the Columbia-only concert and enable students to pick up wristbands the day of the show, as well as provide access to viewing areas on Low Steps, which will hold 1,248 guests. South Lawn will be open for non-ticket holders.

Two additional hints—a crab and a known meme of two Spider-Men pointing at each other—were also shared last week. The crab, an oft recognized symbol of the state of Maryland, was meant to point students in the direction of the Baltimore Ravens football team—hence, Ravyn Lenae. The Spider-Man meme teases a second, unnamed supporting artist.

The headliner, yet to be announced, was teased by a photo of a diner posted to Bacchanal’s Instagram on March 7.