Phillip Phillips to Appear at EIU

Phillip Phillips, the most recent winner of "American Idol," is to perform at Eastern Illinois University's Lantz Arena next month.

The concert is set for 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 16. Tickets went on sale to EIU students on Monday, March 18; ticket sales will open to the public on Monday, March 25.

Phillips' first single, “Home," hit the charts at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the most successful coronation song of any American Idol winner. His debut album, “The World from the Side of the Moon," also includes the songs “Gone, Gone, Gone,” “Man on the Moon” and “Volcano.”

The 22-year-old Georgia artist started 2013 touring as the opening act for Matchbox Twenty, but he's now made the transition to the headliner role in his college tour.

The opening act for Phillips' show will be Churchill, an up-and-coming band that has been featured on mtvU's The Freshmen list. Churchill’s songs include “Change,” “Ark in a Flood” and “Sing Out Your Love.”

Tickets -- $20 for EIU students and $23 for the general public -- may be purchased in the MLK Jr. Union Ticket Office (581-5122) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The concert is sponsored by EIU's University Board.