Grammy nominee Lupe Fiasco and up-and-coming artist Girl Talk will headline ASUU’s spring music festival, the Grand Kerfuffle, in April.
Redfest, a concert held in the fall, and the Grand Kerfuffle act as bookends for the academic year, holding up the drudgery of two semesters with a pair of celebratory festivals, said Tian Luu, Associated Students of the University of Utah concerts chairwoman.
“It celebrates the end of the year and provides an outlet for students,” Luu said.
She said that booking musicians presents a challenge, considering spring touring conflicts and budget limitations.
“We try to reach all students’ interests,” Luu said, which she said can be a nearly insurmountable task considering the vastness of the U student body.
“It’s hard to throw a party that everyone will agree on,” said Zack Renner, a freshman at the U studying communication. Renner said he felt that ASUU does “a good job of making everyone happy,” but said he has not yet seen anything that has totally grabbed his attention.
The Grand Kerfuffle boasts a fairly consistent attendance record of about 5,000 students every year, according to ASUU Presenter’s Office Director Amanda Mecham, but students seem somewhat divided on the efficacy of holding a university-sponsored concert.
Chuck Workman, a senior studying anthropology, said he felt that considering the current economic situation, if “other departments need the money, we shouldn’t throw money at the something else.”
But Julissa Gonzales said that the concert “brings the whole U community together,” and is worth the price tag. Gonzales, a senior in human development and public relations who bought a ticket to the concert, said she feels that the concert also connects high school students to the U and gives the school more publicity.
Ticket sales help offset the cost, but “student fees pay for almost all of the Grand Kerfuffle,” Mecham said.
The Grand Kerfuffle will be held April 15, with doors opening at 6 p.m. U students can purchase tickets at the front desk of the Union for $5 with a student I.D. Non-students can purchase tickets for $15 at all Smith’sTix locations or at www.smithstix.com
Lennie MahlerThe fall concert, Redfest, draws a large crowd each year along with the spring concert Grand Kerfuffle. Lupe Fiasco and Girl Talk will head line Grand Kerfuffle on April 15.