CUAB's $1 concert series provides study break

One dollar won’t buy a soft drink from a vending machine. But the Carolina Union Activities Board is putting on a concert series at venues around campus throughout the next month for exactly that amount.

The $1 Concert Series kicked off Tuesday night in the Union Cabaret with the band Brian Olive, which draws inspiration from a variety of classic sources, including ’60s pop and jazz. The band energetically opened at 8 p.m. to a sparse crowd.

Despite the low attendance, Robert Hyman of CUAB said the series was still a good program.

UPCOMING $1 CONCERTS

Caroline Smith and The Good Night Sleeps
Time: 8 p.m. April 8
Location: Union Cabaret

The Never
Time: 7:30 p.m. April 13
Location: Union Cabaret

Tallest Man on Earth, with The Nurses
Time: 8 p.m. April 26
Location: Gerrard Hall

“It is a good cultural experience,” he said.

Adele Ricciardi, the music committee chairwoman of CUAB, said that the program’s goal was to provide a respite from the coming stressful weeks of school.

“The idea is to provide some cheap shows that are good quality,” she said. “These shows provide more opportunities to have more diverse artists more often. They are something that everyone would want to see.”

The next show is Caroline Smith and the Good Night Sleeps on April 8.

The band uses folk instruments, including banjos, harmonicas and ukuleles, to reinterpret pop songs.

The Never, a popular Chapel Hill band that finds an easy balance between indie rock and beach pop, is playing April 13.

The Tallest Man on Earth, a folk singer from Sweden who has recently received critical attention, is playing April 26.

The series is being advertised in a variety of ways, including fliers on Franklin Street and a sign at the Pit entrance of the Union.

Hyman said CUAB wanted to bring less expensive bands that would add to diversity to music on campus with this series.

CUAB is putting on the four concerts at a cost of around $6,000, which is not expected to be recovered in ticket sales. CUAB receives one-third of the Student Activities Fee all students pay for its overall budget.

The series is expected to reach several hundred students with the concerts in the campus venues of the Union Cabaret and Gerrard Hall.

Tickets for the show are available from the Union Box Office for $1 for students with a One Card and $5 for the general public.

Ricciardi said that CUAB intends to continue the event in future years, hoping to give students an escape from the hectic exam season.

 

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