After experimenting with two separate fall and spring concerts in the 2014–2015 school year, Geneseo Campus Activities Board—formerly known as Activities Commission—is discussing a switch back to one large headliner in the spring. A recent survey asked students a number of questions, including what genre of music they prefer, what venue they prefer and if they would rather have a fall and spring concert or a large spring concert.
“We really want to blow everyone out of the water this year,” GCAB publicity chair senior Rachel Winter said. While “two concerts” is listed as an option to gauge student preference, senior GCAB chair Sarah Dukler noted that at this point in the semester, a fall concert is not very probable.
“It would be sort of a rush to plan a concert for the fall,” Dukler said. Concerts require extensive preparation from event security to artist contracts, and while GCAB will take note of student opinion, a fall concert is likely out of the question this year.
GCAB made this decision because Geneseo has a lower budget for concerts than larger schools do. Concerts are funded by Student Activity Fees and GCAB hopes that by concentrating all the funding on one large show, the artist name and turnout will be more impressive.
“Something we’ve observed through response to concerts is that people have a much better response to people with a bigger name,” Dukler said, citing the difference in turnout between Mac Miller and Mary Lambert as an example. She hopes to have a well-known artist as a spring headliner this year.
“If you pool all your money toward one show, you’ll be able to get a bigger name artist and I think that will make for a more successful turnout,” Dukler said.
Concerts are required to make a profit, meaning student opinion and student turnout are crucial to their success. Among other attempts to factor in student opinion, GCAB is focusing on surveying for genre preference instead of individual artist names.
“People get really attached when they pick bands,” Dukler said, explaining that they chose to ask for only genre preference this year because “it leaves a little bit more of an open door.”
Additionally, they are moving the concert out of the MacVittieCollege Union Ballroom and either back into the Kuhl Gym or to a brand-new location: the new College Stadium.
“Having it in the stadium would be a really unique space to have it in and would be exciting because it’s outside,” Dukler said. The main obstacle with the stadium is that its success is very dependent on the weather and the concert would potentially be held at a later date to accommodate for the space.
Despite this, Dukler emphasized her belief that the stadium would add a new and unique aspect to the Geneseo concert. “Geneseo hasn’t always been known for its school spirit and the stadium represents school spirit and loyalty to the school in my mind,” Dukler said. “We were discussing how cool it would be to have a concert in this newly built stadium … it would be a great use of the space.”
Overall, GCAB is focusing on accommodating student opinions and creating a concert experience that will receive positive feedback and high turnout. “We really want to satisfy the students’ desires in this respect because ultimately, we are using their money,” Dukler said.
“If people want to be entertained and to be impressed by GCAB, they have to give us feedback,” Winter said.