The names – Carlos, James, Kendall and Logan – may not mean much to many adults, but to the hundreds of East Ridge Middle School students who packed the auditorium on Wednesday afternoon it was a chance in a lifetime to see the rising pop group and Nickelodeon stars from “Big Time Rush.”
Fresh off a guest appearance on the Today show, Big Time Rush was in the midst of its promotional tour for its debut album, BTR, when the group pulled into Clermont on Oct. 13 for a surprise concert at the middle school.
“The kids have no idea who is here,” said Principal Charles McDaniel as he helped school staff escort students into the gymnasium.
During a back-to-school promotion in August, shoppers at Walgreens were encouraged to send a text to have Big Time Rush visit their school. The contest was also sponsored by CBS Radio and its local affiliate 105.1 WOMX. East Ridge Middle School won the contest for the Orlando market, as Big Time Rush will play in other schools in major markets in the coming weeks.
“When I heard we won this opportunity, I knew we had to do this for the kids,” McDaniel said. “I’ve known for about a month. It was the best-kept secret.”
Deploying a little trickery, McDaniel announced to the student body that a FCAT celebration with an anti-bullying message was scheduled for Wednesday. With students seated and ready for the event to start, Big Time Rush entered through a gymnasium side door and the crowd erupted. According to school staff, the pop group did share some anti-bullying tips; however, the shrills of excitement drowned out most conversations until the group started into its array of television show songs now turned into pop hits.
The group’s debut album was released on Oct. 11. It features 11 songs previously featured on the show, as well as tracks that will be featured in upcoming episodes of the show’s second season. According to Nickelodeon, “Big Time Rush” was the most viewed premiere in the channel’s history.
“It’s a great experience,” said Kendall Schmidt who plays the character Kendall Knight on the TV show. “Just hanging out with the kids is fun because they are the ones that watch the show.”
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