CUAB forgoes Homecoming show for bigger spring Jubilee

The Carolina Union Activities Board will not host Homecoming concerts this year. Instead, the group will focus all of its efforts on hosting a larger Jubilee concert in the spring.

“We got student feedback after our spring concert, which was very positive,” said CUAB Vice President of Outreach, Boateng Kubi. “Students wanted a bigger concert, and we decided to give them a bigger concert this year.”

Although ticket sales for Homecoming concerts in fall 2014 did not sell well — Earl Sweatshirt and Gloriana were separate concerts, but combined did not sell enough tickets to fill Memorial Hall — Kubi said the lack of interest did not influence this decision.

“During the summer, there’s a big transition period for the programming board, and it makes it difficult to program the huge events for the caliber that we’re trying to have in the spring,” he said. “We want a really regarded singer, and to find a contract with an artist takes some time.”

With the Sept. 4 Twitter announcement of the decision, CUAB released a poll on the Student Life website with options for potential artists: The Weeknd, Schoolboy Q, Capital Cities, Fetty Wap, PartyNextDoor, Chase Rice, Future, Odesza, Twenty One Pilots and a write-in option.

So far, the poll has received about 800 votes.

Kubi said that while these names are potential contenders for the concert, the write-in option is very important to the artist decision.

“We’re trying to get as much student feedback as possible, so if there’s an artist that a lot of students voted for in the ‘other,’ that would give an idea of who to look at,” he said.

Kubi said no budget is set for the Jubilee concert yet.

“Our budget is going to obviously depend on who we’re going after, as all the artists on that list don’t cost the same,” he said. “We’re going to see who students want to see, and then we’re going to have to think as a board how much money we want to allocate toward it,” he said.

In 2014-15, CUAB spent a total of $80,750 on concerts: $50,000 on Homecoming acts and a combined $30,750 for the Jubilee acts of Rae Sremmurd and Well$.

According to a 2014 Variety article on booking fees, it would cost approximately $25,000 to $35,000 to book Twenty One Pilots, $25,000 to $40,000 for Schoolboy Q, $40,000 to $50,000 for Common and $40,000 to $60,000 for Capital Cities.

Junior Jennie Baker and sophomores Lauren Moody and Katheryn Thompson were all disappointed to hear there would be no Homecoming concert, but they were excited about the potential of a bigger spring show.

“Last year, Duke got T-Pain. I think it’d be so sick if we could get someone that people know — like Waka Flocka or someone,” Moody said.

Kubi said the choice of artist is wide open as of now.

“With every event we hold, we try to hold the best possible event. There’s always room for improvement.”

@sarahvassello

arts@dailytarheel.com