The Music Ed Tour invades the home of the Buckeyes today.

The tour, sponsored by Volkswagen and Clear Channel, begins with an afternoon full of giveaways and games, ending with a free concert from The Ataris, MxPx and Vendetta Red sponsored by the Ohio Union Activities Board.

“They really wanted to come for a long time,” said Manish Lamba, the senior co-chairperson of concerts for OUAB. “They really enjoy coming to Ohio State and being on campus.”

The Volkswagen Activities Village will provide four tents of free entertainment for students from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the South Oval.

“It’s all about free stuff and hanging out,” said Jonathan Mobily, spokesman for the Music Ed Tour.

Future DJs can learn tricks of the trade at “The Scratch DJ Academy” tent where demonstrations and interactive lessons will be given.

The “Extracurricular Activities” tent will have free iron-on T-shirt designs, a CD burning station and new Beetle remote-control car races.

The “Student Lounge” will give students a chance to relax on couches while enjoying games on XBox and music from RadioVW.com. A certified massage therapist will also be on hand to give free massages.

For those hoping to check out a line-up of Volkswagen’s vehicles, the “Drivers Ed” tent will provide both new and used vehicles. Students can also sign up to win a two-year lease on a 2004 Volkswagen GTI. The tent also offers a contest to cram as many students into a Beetle as possible.

The Ataris with MxPx and Vendetta Red will finish the day with a concert in the Ohio Union Ballroom starting at 8 p.m.

The Ataris were handpicked as the headliners because the up-and-coming status the band has fits the Volkswagen feel, Mobily said.

“A lot of bands we like to back are borderline alternative bands, and that’s what the audience most responds to,” he said.

Zachary Davidson, lead singer of Vendetta Red, said The Ataris picked them for the tour from a number of possible bands.

Vendetta Red is coming off of the Vans Warped Tour and is supporting its album “Between the Never and the Now.”

The songs on its album were originally from another CD “While Knuckle Experience” but were re-recorded due to legal issues, Davidson said.

Each track, including the first single “Shatterday,” was written from Davidson’s personal perspective.

“I think it’s just my subconscious way of dealing with my own BS,” Davidson said. “A song like ‘PS I Love Black’ that is the only time I dealt with relationships in a song. ‘Suicide Party’ I’m writing because I think I’m being poetic, and I get done and realized its all about cults and not to follow charismatic leaders into the ocean.”

Davidson describes Vendetta Red as a “band’s band” which loves to play live.

“We play live music every night because its fun and its our passion,” Davidson said.

Coming from Seattle, the band’s sound has been compared to that of Nirvana’s. Davidson said he was flattered by the comparison but feels the band should not be categorized.

“They (the media) read you the end of the story before you’ve even bought the book. It’s a tough thing to get over.” Davidson said.

Vendetta Red consists of Eric Chapman on guitar, keyboards, and vocals; Joseph Lee on drums and vocals; Justin Cook on guitar and vocals; Michael Vermillion on bass and vocals; and Davidson on lead vocals. They will be headlining their first tour later this year but are happy to be playing with The Ataris on the Music Ed Tour.

MxPx was added to the Music Ed Tour especially for the Columbus show.

“They were already going to be in town and were set to play at the Newport, so The Ataris asked them to join their show,” Lamba said.

MxPx will be an added bonus for Music Ed Tour ticketholders but a disappointment for those who will seek a refund for the show at the Newport.

Both The Ataris and Vendetta Red played the Vans Warped Tour this summer. Davidson said that the audience for this tour has been different than the Warped Tour.

“Its not kids that go to shows everyday or every weekend even,” Davidson said. “They go to shows when its handed to them at their school.”

The Music Ed Tour was created by Volkswagen to expose college students to music which may not recieve much airplay and to provide an entertaining environment.

“The ultimate goal is basically to deliver fun to 20 college campuses this fall,” Mobily said. “We’re here to show a lighter side to a big company.”

The Volkswagen Activities Village is open to all OSU students. OUAB distributed 1,100 tickets for The Ataris concert. More students will be allowed into the show if space permits, Lamba said.