Pulling together the Spring Concert
Every spring, the floor of Hagan Arena vibrates under the feet of Saint Joseph’s University students who sing and dance to popular songs right before finals week.
St. Joe’s will hold the annual spring concert event this year for the 21st time, with rapper Mac Miller. The show will be a Glow Show of bright colors and high energy featuring opening act, Clockwork DJ, on April 27. Ross McDaniel, ’18, and Sabrina Schielein, ’17, are co-chairs of the committee.
“Mac Miller’s ticket sales in just three days this year were close to the overall total ticket sales for last year’s concert,” McDaniel said.
Mac Miller was announced as the performer on March 21. Three days after the reveal, the video had 11,500 views, going viral amongst St. Joe’s 8,415 undergraduate and graduate students.
Panic! at the Disco headlined the Spring Concert in 2016, and the Spring Concert Committee was forced to open it up to the public due to lack of ticket sales. Part of each student’s tuition goes towards the Spring Concert, and non-St. Joe’s students are not the first guests the committee invites, according to the Spring Concert Committee.
Students are asked to take a survey in mid-November on who they would like to see perform in the spring. Future, a fellow rapper, won the majority vote this year; however, he pushed for more money when contacted,, so the committee turned their attention towards the runners-up: Travis Scott and Mac Miller, and ultimately booked the third most popular choice.
Student voting does not determine the artist, but it often dictates genre. The top three options were all rappers which shows what kind of music most of the student body prefers, and possibly explains why last year’s concert wasn’t as successful.
“We probably won’t do alternative again,” Schielein said. “We’re never going to try country here. Lots of rap, maybe pop. This year choosing a rap artist we want more positive energy.”
Adam Tobey is the agent for Concert Ideas, which arranges musicians and comedians to perform shows at schools and other events. He has been in close contact with Mac Miller and St. Joe’s Spring Concert Committee in preparation for the concert.
The committee must become a St. Joe’s student, the consumer, and figure out what will draw a person in to buy a ticket to the show, according to Tobey.
The Spring Concert Committee can sell upwards of 3,000tickets. Over 2,000students have already bought tickets with only 800 first floor tickets left to be sold, as of April 23.
Not only do students control the genre of artist that attends, but they also indirectly control the popularity of the artist by attending the Spring Concert. The more students that go to the concerts, the more money the committee has for spending in the following years. This year’s budget was $85,000 for the artist and $112,000 for the entire concert.
“If more people go every year, revenue will increase, and popular artists will become affordable,” Schielein said.
St. Joe’s budget is comparable if not on the middle-high side of most schools in the country, according to Tobey.
Ticket prices are significantly lower than those of most concerts which typically range from $50-$200. Tickets were originally $12, were raised to $15 on March 26, and raised again to $20 on April 17. Guest tickets are $30.
“I’m excited for this year and for future years,” Schielein said. “I’m going to be buying my guest ticket when I’m 30.”
McDaniel and Schielein lead four separate committees that handle publicity, hospitality, safety and security and production. The concert is entirely student run; the students make the flyers, post on social media, set up the dressing room, shop for groceries and much more.
“It all leads up to that moment when he goes on stage and we’re sitting on the side,” McDaniel said. “We just go up to the second floor and just watch the crowd.”
