Senior music major Curt LeClair gained a position on the Activities Commission executive board in fall 2008 as Mac's Place coordinator, working to bring musical acts and comedians to campus.
"My friend was applying for a position for [Student Association] and we were both trying to be more involved," LeClair said. After going through the application and interview process LeClair found Mac's Place was a good fit.
After acquiring the position, LeClair spent the rest of the semester learning about his new job, and, come time for Weeks of Welcome, he held his first event: a concert on the Union Patio featuring Standard of Living and Innocent Bystanders.
LeClair was also placed in charge of Wednesday Jam Sessions, but said that he feels Geneseo students favor the KnightSpot events, which are generally meant for an audience of 50 to 100 people. "I felt like people were more interested in concerts I had at night than during All-College Free Hour when people were already busy," he said.
According to LeClair, he has to keep a couple of things in mind when putting together a show for KnightSpot. "I keep an eye on local groups and try to keep an idea of where people are touring," he said. "If a student comes to me, I really like to make that work because they will be really excited about it and tell their friends to come."
"If there is a band from Geneseo that fits well with the headlining band then I'll definitely try to get them involved," LeClair explained. "Otherwise I'm always looking out for what's going on in Rochester." An example is the upcoming Dec. 10 show; the KnightSpot will play host to Blue Rooster, a Geneseo-based band, and The Scandals, a band from Rochester.
After planning and working with agents or the bands directly, LeClair said he "really likes the day of the show and putting it all together."
In past months LeClair has also collaborated with various organizations and students. In particular, he cited the example of working with Latino Student Association to bring in a comedian. He has also worked with Geneseo Late Knight and Weeks of Welcome in the past.
"I think a lot of people on [AC] would love to collaborate and are definitely trying to reach out," he said. Lately, senior Becky Lovell has worked with LeClair in bringing various bands to campus, as well as creating posters to publicize the events.
LeClair stated one of the best parts of collaborating with others is the extra money that becomes available to get bands to play on campus. "There are a lot of bands I'd like to bring in for about $3,000," he said. "I feel like we miss out on a lot of in-between bands that aren't quite unheard of, but aren't a huge deal." With a strict budget, LeClair focuses on bands who live gig-by-gig through touring in different genres of music.
"Almost every band that I bring is a band that I really love," he said, "but I try to appeal to a lot of different people." With an eclectic taste in music, LeClair's position suits him well. "I've been listening to The Antlers lately … I just listen to a lot of different stuff, I don't really stick anywhere," he continued.
When asked what the future holds for him, LeClair responded, "I'd love to keep booking for a venue or a record label ... I'll see what comes my way."