T-Pain, known for platinum-certified songs like “Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’)” and “Bartender,” will be performing at the fall concert on Oct. 18, SUBOG announced via social media on Wednesday. This is the first time The Student Union Board of Governors is partnering with UConn Athletics for a combination of First Night and the fall concert.
“The main reason we are partnering is to try [to] create the biggest and most entertaining event we can for all students,” Jacob Stockman, a fifth-semester marketing major and Concert Chairman of SUBOG, said. “Through this partnership, we are able to put together an event that appeals to both basketball fans, and music fans alike, as our goal is to have an event that all of our fellow students can enjoy.
According to SUBOG’s artist interest surveys that were released over the summer, they received 1,464 responses. The majority of responses came from sophomores and hip-hop was the most favored genre. From the artists listed in the survey, 52% of students voted for T-Pain.
According to Stockman, UConn Athletics reached out to SUBOG at the end of the spring semester about the collaboration. The committee agreed to go forward with the partnership as long as SUBOG was allowed a certain amount of creative control. Around the end of July, the artist was booked.
“We have never actually split the duties of planning a concert with anyone so this is definitely a new and exciting experience for us,” Stockman said.
T-Pain has been featured on a number of hit singles, like DJ Khaled’s “All I Do Is Win” and Flo Rida’s “Low.” T-Pain’s albums “Rappa Ternt Sanga” and “Thr33 Ringz” have been certified gold by the RIAA. In 2008, he received a Grammy Award for best rap song for his feature in Kanye West’s “Good Life.” In 2009, he received a People’s Choice award for favorite hip-hop song from Flo Rida’s “Low.”
First Night, as its name suggests, is the first night that the basketball team is allowed to practice on NCAA regulations. First Night activities will take place with the three-point and dunk contests as well as player and coach introductions. Following First Night tradition, admission will be free for all UConn students.
First Night is expected to take up about half the court in Gampel, with a stage set up on the other half. The concert is expected to start immediately after First Night activities ends.
“[SUBOG] wanted to make the fall concert and [UConn Athletics] wanted to make First Night as big as possible and they also wanted to include as many students as possible, so it’s kind of a perfect partnership that way,” Stockman said.
The “First Night x Fall Concert” collaboration will be held at Gampel Pavilion, with doors set to open around 5:30 p.m.
Thumbnail photo courtesy of @tpain Instagram.
Brandon Barzola is a staff writer for The Daily Campus. He can be reached via email at brandon.barzola@uconn.edu.
