The alternative rock band Blue October is set to rock the UTD campus as headliners of the second annual “Big Concert.”
Scheduled for the evening of March 25, the concert, sponsored by the Student Union Activities and Advisory Board (SUAAB) is expected to attract more than 2,500 people from the UTD community as well as from nearby schools, said Stella Mulberry, SUAAB advisor.
Though admission is free for all, the event will not come cheap. A budget of $70,000 has been appropriated to cover production expenditures, the band’s performance fees, travel expenses and other costs.
In an effort to increase student involvement in the event, SUAAB set up an online poll to select the headliner, Mulberry said.
Students from various student organizations on campus chose their favorite from a list of 10 candidate bands.
Sugar Ray and the Ataris took first and second place respectively in the poll of 250 students, but due to schedule conflicts Blue October, the third favorite, was called upon.
“We really wanted to get a lot more student input this year,” said Mulberry. “To get a wide sampling of students from diverse backgrounds, we thought that going to the student organizations would be helpful,”
Attractions at the on-campus event may include wall climbing, a mechanical bull and games designed to make the evening more of an outdoor music festival than just a concert, Mulberry said.
“History of Sale,” Blue October’s latest offering released last August, “mines the dark realities of everyday life and lays them bare for all to hear” according to MTV.com.
The quartet is comprised of singer/songwriter Justin Furstenfeld, violinist Ryan Delahoussaye, guitarist C.B. Hudson, and drummer Jeremy Furstenfeld.
SUAAB’s search for co-headliners and opening acts is still underway but students are thrilled to know that Blue October will perform.
“I love Blue October and I’m excited that they’re coming to their homeland to entertain us college students,” said Darin Pinto, junior geophysics major.
SUAAB hopes to work with the Office of University News and Information at UTD to advertise the event in various local newspapers like the Dallas Morning News, the Dallas Observer and in student newspapers at neighboring schools.
Some of these schools include Southern Methodist University, University of North Texas, University of Texas – Arlington, Texas Christian University, and Richland College.
After noise complaints and police interruptions at the end of last year’s concert featuring Cowboy Mouth, organizers plan to take all necessary precautions.
Though the location for the concert is yet to be decided, Mulberry says that it will be chosen such that no one would be disturbed.
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