Annual Fall Concert Falls Off Calendar

Activites Programming Board decides to hold only one concert this year

Max EberhartTHE SANTA CLARAOctober 27, 2016Kid Cudi and Shwayze & Cisco Adler in the 2009- 2010 school year. Young the Giant and Chance the Rapper in 2013-2014. And finally, MisterWives and Sage the Gemini in 2015-2016. In a recent email to students, APB leadership announced that they were replacing the traditional Fall and Spring Concerts with a larger concert later in the year.According to APB Director Njideka Akudinobi, the decision was made with input from a student survey that concluded the majority of students favored a larger concert as opposed to two smaller ones. However, as Akudinobi noted, the move to scrap the two concerts for a single performance was somewhat inevitable.“APB wanted to continue to align all parts of our organization with our Year 1 Goal of our 5-year plan from last year which was ‘Bigger is Better,’” Akudinobi said. “This theme means that APB will focus on planning large-scale events that will reach a greater array of students. We hope to implement that this year with our concert and other programs.”With this decision also comes uncertainty in the results. There is currently a survey out until Friday, Oct. 28 that will determine which genre will play at the concert. However, students will not know exactly who is playing at the concert for a while. Akudinobi said she was unsure when students might expect to hear further information about artists.In fact, Akudinobi was unable to provide any further details about this year’s concert, and did not reveal whether the performance will take place in Winter or Spring quarter. However, don’t expect the concert to be anytime soon, as Akudinobi stated that “the next couple of months will really be focused on brainstorming ways to make the concert exciting besides just seeing the main act.”Akudinobi also could not explain how this year’s single concert will be any different than the previous ones. Nonetheless, Akudinobi wants the student body to expect great plans.“(APB) really wants to improve the overall experience and excitement around the concert,” she said.In my opinion, to bring more students to the concert, APB should really consider something like a mini-carnival with activities outside of the music. In order for this event to be a true success though, APB should have strong acts—artists and groups like Run The Jewels, Danny Brown, Sufjan Stevens, Flying Lotus and Lil B fit the bill. These artists all appeal to mainstream pop culture, while still satisfying those who want top tier music—a combination that hasn’t always been present in previous APB concerts.But for the love of all that is holy, please no country music.Contact Max Eberhart at meberhart@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4852.