The U is hosting the Grand Kerfuffle and Crimson Nights tonight. Both ASUU and the Union Programming Council have been busy gearing up for the event, and the stage for the Kerfuffle has been under construction by the Union for days.
Miranda Stocks, a senior in psychology and manager of concerts for ASUU, said students can expect a mixture of styles at the Kerfuffle.
“It’s going to be a little bit of variety, as opposed to Redfest,” Stocks said.
The concert will hit three major styles: Katie Herzig will offer a softer sound, MUTEMATH will hit the alternative and AWOLNATION will lean toward the pop side of the spectrum.
Tickets were nearly sold out by Thursday afternoon.
Friday afternoon, the area around the Union will be filled with student groups for their organizations. Local vendors will also be on campus in the afternoon and evening.
Stocks said she is looking forward to a good show.
“I’m just really excited to see everybody come out and see what we’ve put together,” she said. “It’s been a lot of trial and error and hard work … I’m just excited to see it all play out.”
The party will not end when the concert finishes. UPC has planned a Crimson Nights event directly afterward to provide a perfect segue into a night filled with music, dancing and other Crimson Nights trademarks, such as free massages and the T-shirt press.
Nighina Jamili, a junior in human development and family studies and director of Crimson Nights for UPC, said the event will start one hour later than normal to accommodate Kerfuffle-goers.
“We’re starting at 10 p.m. and run until 2 in the morning,” Jamili said.
Organizers are expecting a big turnout because the event starts right after the concert. They are stepping up to the plate with an even bigger party planned than normal.
“The great thing is that it’s after the Kerfuffle, so we’ll have a really great crowd,” Jamili said.
Crimson Nights will feature a rock music theme.
“It’s really inspired by the rock ‘n’ roll of the ’80s,” Jamili said.
Besides the dance, the event will host its own battle of the bands style concert that will also feature a variety of music. UPC has rappers, bands and an a cappella group lined up to perform, and students will get to pick the winner who will receive $200 of merchandise.
In addition to standard Crimson Night fare, such as pizza, ice cream and spray-on tattoos, tonight’s event will feature a number of rooms inspired by hit songs from the ’80s, such as a “sugar room” filled with a chocolate fountain and tons of sweets and a “welcome to the jungle room” filled with wild animals such as snakes.
Crimson Nights will have two entrances, one being only for U students just off of the Union patio down by the Kerfuffle. U students will pay $3 for admission. All other college students will be charged $5. The doors open at 6 p.m.