During the past few years at Bradley, the Activities Council of Bradley University (ACBU) has brought some great concerts to campus.
Students were able to see shows from a variety of artists of different genres, from rock bands Weezer and Taking Back Sunday, to high-energy performers Jason Derulo, Mike Posner and Girl Talk, to big-name country group The Band Perry.
But since there will be no con- cert this semester, as mentioned in article “ACBU says no fall con- cert,” there’s one less opportunity for students to watch a live per- formance.
We understand when things come up in the music industry that would prevent an artist from coming to campus, like conflicting tour dates, unexpected emergen-
cies or difficulties with schedul- ing in between the other exciting ACBU events coming up.
That doesn’t mean, however, that there shouldn’t be an ACBU concert at all this semester.
Sure, Bradley isn’t a big school. We don’t have as many students as other large, public universities, so we obviously cannot pool enough money to bring the biggest names out there.
At the same time, that should not discourage ACBU from not bringing in any artist at all, even if the artist isn’t as popular as groups like The Band Perry.
The great thing about the ACBU concerts just a few years ago, was the variety of music brought to the table. The fall and spring con- certs usually differed in the style of music, which was beneficial in two ways.
First, students could be exposed to new genres at a cheap concert ticket price, and secondly, stu- dents could have at least one more opportunity to see an artist from a genre they like.
The Band Perry was a big hit in the Renaissance Coliseum in the spring, selling 3,150 tickets, the most ever in the coliseum.
But not all of those sales were from students. In fact, more than half were sold to the public, with just 930 sold to students.
It’s awesome that ACBU had such a successful concert with The Band Perry, but in the end, wouldn’t it be even more success- ful if more students attended?
Wouldn’t it make sense that ACBU would want to have more concerts, even if they aren’t big name stars, to try to please all students’ favorite genres of music?
We don’t need big name stars for every concert. Look at the Chance the Rapper concert a few weeks ago, hosted by Brave Sounds Entertainment, The Edge and Residential Life. Yes, it didn’t bring more than 3,000 people like The Band Perry did, but it was a free show where students could listen to three up-and-coming art- ists.
Concerts provide students more opportunities to hang out with friends, listen to new music and make memories during their Bradley experience. Isn’t that what it’s about?
ACBU should consider bring- ing a performer this fall, even if the artist does not have the glitz and glamour of a household name.
