It was announced over fall break Macklemore and Ryan Lewis will perform for the spring concert in Renaissance Coliseum at 8:30 p.m. Feb. 4.
The Activities Council of Bradley University (ACBU) reached out to a middle agent to get the duo on campus because of the survey results from the previous spring semester. According to the planning committee, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis received the most votes.
The committee, consisting of junior Jackie Myers, senior James Ghareeb and junior Katie Isdonas, described the process and what went into the decision to pursue Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.
“We got a list of all these different artists of all different genres, so we tried to pick things that haven’t been brought here in a while,” Isdonas said. “We tried to bring a [Billboard] Top 40 artist or something like that so we could get something new.”
Assistant Director of Student Activities Lauren Smetana said the negotiations took place over the summer and into this school year. Myers also said they were happy with how the negotiations turned out.
“We were super excited that we were able to get the number one that everybody voted for,” Myers said.
Myers said the tour schedule, with Peoria between St. Louis and Chicago, as well as Bradley’s scheduling flexibility, could have played a part in getting the duo to campus.
Another important aspect the committee considered when booking the artists was campus opinions.
“I think it’s really important that we did do the survey and ask for students’ input this year,” Myers said. “I know that’s something we started doing last year and I think it’s something we should continue, so that we get the input of the students immediately and really helps us figure out what the students actually really, really want.”
The committee members said they enjoyed the feedback after they announced the performers.
“I haven’t heard one negative comment to me,” Ghareeb said. “I announced it on the ACBU Snapchat, I announced it to all of the tour guides at once, and everyone was super excited.”
Ghareeb said he was on campus during the announcement over fall break, giving a tour.
“It was amazing to see [the news] spread throughout campus on a fall break in less than 20 minutes,” he said. “I was giving tours and the people I was giving tours to [said], ‘I heard Macklemore is coming,’ and I was like, ‘How did you know that already?’”
In response to people who might complain about the artist, Ghareeb said [ACBU] cannot please everyone. The committee members stressed that Macklemore is a Billboard Top 40, four-time Grammy winner, and he was the number one voted candidate in the survey.
“It’s hard when you hear people say negative comments and you ask them if they took the survey and then they said, ‘No,’” Isdonas said.
Myers said she encourages students to vote in surveys, as it will help out in future concerts.
Tickets for students went on sale Oct. 14 at the Renaissance Coliseum ticket office and will be $11 until Nov. 3. On Nov. 4, the price for a student ticket increases to $16. Faculty and staff can start purchasing tickets for $21 Oct. 19. They will go out to the general public for $36 Oct. 21.
