SEC planning big reveal for concert headliner

By Jess Decina

So what’s it like to be keeping one of the University’s biggest secrets?

Not as easy as you’d think, according to senior Bill Purcell, special events chair for the Student Entertainment Council (SEC).

Purcell and other members of SEC aren’t telling anyone who will be headlining the Spring Concert — not for another week, that is.

SEC is going all out for the big unveiling by hosting an event in the Rider Pub next Thursday starting at 10:30 p.m., Purcell said.

“The idea was thrown out to make it a big deal, since many people look forward to it and constantly ask who it is all the time,” he said. “We’ll make [it] into a bit of a race between the acts [featured on] the survey throughout the night and have a big covered cutout of the actual act, which we will reveal at midnight.”

And there’s our first hint: The headliner selected was, in fact, featured on the student survey that SEC members sent out last semester.

Here’s the second hint: Among some of the choices featured on that survey were the bands Gym Class Heroes, Dashboard Confessional and Boys Like Girls, hip-hop artist T-Pain and pop singer Colbie Caillat.

Last year, SEC gave students the choice of three artists: Chris Carabba, Ben Folds and Chamillionaire, but at the last second, selected singer-songwriter Jason Mraz for the event.

“We wanted to stick to acts on the survey and not do a switcheroo like last year with Mraz, and the opportunity of a Saturday show came up,” Purcell said.

The concert will take place on Saturday, April 12. That’s a big step for SEC to take, considering the University has become somewhat infamous for having students who take off on weekends, Purcell said.

“We look at it the same way the administration does,” he said. “We don’t want students leaving every weekend. We don’t want to be afraid of leaving an opportunity for a show just because it’s on a weekend. Plus, it can leave a bigger opportunity for guests to come, and no one has to worry about getting work done or going to night class.”

Purcell hopes to have a big turnout for the concert, noting that last weekend’s event, A Night of Mythbusting with Tory Belleci, “had a good crowd in the BLC, even for a Saturday night.”

“We hope to get a good response from people, and if things don’t work out, it’s always something to learn from,” he said.

In the meantime, SEC just wants to generate some anticipation — even if it means dealing with frustrated students for another week.

“I do sense some frustration, especially when people know I have a part of putting the show on and they ask me,” Purcell said. “It’s hard not to just blurt it out. But after the party, we are going to spread the word like wildfire.”