After what proved to be a complicated process for Student Activities Board, the Homecoming concert took place as scheduled on Sept. 24 with ‘90s band Tonic as the headlining act.
The band was joined by openers Building Rome and Javier Mendoza.
“They were great guys, and they put on an engaging and exciting show. We have had excellent feedback from those that were in attendance. As I watched the show, I noticed the audience was very pleased with the music and danced along with it. I think everyone who was there truly enjoyed the performance. And those that were not in attendance missed a really great show,” SAB president Stephanie Hart said.
SAB solidified Tonic as their headlining act 10 days before the concert.
This was the resolution to what was a challenging process for SAB, with the original act backing out of their contract in July.
According to Tim Janczewski, financial vice president for Student Government Association, SAB was allocated $84,000 from the Student Activity Fee for the entire Homecoming Week, $58,000 of which was for the performing artists.
Hart said that an estimated 820 people attended the show.
However, she explained that the attendance for this concert was lower than in years past.
“The situation was very different this year, and considering all the circumstances, we were quite pleased with the audience,” she said.
Coordinator of Student Activities Janelle Densberger said that, given the challenge SAB had this year, the crowd was as they expected it would be.
“However, I must admit, I thought more students would be eager to enjoy the beautiful weather and concert environment. I could think of no better way to spend a Friday night,” Densberger said.
Among those in attendance were members of Students for Life. The group had a booth at the concert at which they sold funnel cake.
They were charged a $50 fee to have the booth, but were able to make profit regardless.
Sophomore Patrick Grillot was one of the members at the concert.
He explained that this was the first homecoming concert that he had attended and that he had nothing to compare the attendance to. However, he said that he heard from others that the attendance seemed poor for a number of reasons, such as the late announcement of the band.
“I had people come up to me and say, ‘I just came because of the funnel cakes’,” Grillot said. However, he said that this was great exposure for Students for Life.
Despite booking the artist only 10 days before the concert, Hart said that she felt that SAB marketed the concert as effectively as it could.
“Some promotional tactics were not options for us because of this time constraint, but I think that we used our time effectively,” Hart said.
According to Densberger, the members of SAB utilized fliers, handbills, a banner, the directories and TVs in the Busch Student Center and social media outlets to spread the world about the concert.
In addition, they handed out beach balls and leis, which fit the theme of Homecoming.
The group is already taking steps to make sure that the planning process for Spring Fever is less complicated.
“I can also say I am pleased to see the proactive approach that SAB is taking to begin the planning for Spring Fever.
Already there are talks of who will co-chair the week, and what types of music and artists the campus will like to see.
I hope and pray we are less challenged for our spring concert, but I am confident that SAB will continue to work hard and dedicate themselves to bring solid entertainment to the SLU community,” Densberger said.
In the past, the group has booked acts such as Ben Folds, Augastana, Tyler Hilton, Chingy and Lifehouse for the Spring Fever Concert.
For more information on upcoming SAB events, visit sab.slu.edu/events.