The University of Connecticut Student Union Board of Governors (SUBOG) recently distributed a survey for students to help determine who they should hire to perform at UConnic, an annual spring concert event.
“We go through every response in the survey, from genres to the specific artists students recommend, and compile the most popular and realistic options,” said Kaitlyn Nigborowicz, the chair of SUBOG’s concert committee.
Last year’s UConnic showcased “The Driver Era,” a duo comprised of actor-musician Ross Lynch and brother Rocky Lynch; prior years brought rapper Swae Lee and hip-hop singer Dominic Fike to the stage, among others.
The idea to gather students’ input for consideration this year follows mixed approval of previous headliner announcements.
“We understand that students want big-name artists they hear on the radio, but most artists at that level don’t take college offers, and if they do, their performance fees are often over $1 million,” Nigborowicz said. “If an artist has recently headlined a major festival, it’s pretty safe to say they’re out of reach for us.”
In addition to costs, the SUBOG concert committee also examines multiple variables such as if an artist “promotes negative social messages that may be harmful to UConn,” and whether they are “on the verge of superstardom” in determining which artists to offer a UConnic spot.
“Just like you, we get our hearts set on someone and they slip away at the last minute,” the committee’s webpage states. “It happens, but we always have tons of great options to consider.”
UConnic also features performers in addition to the headlining act to serve as openers and give student artists a chance to take the stage, as part of SUBOG’s effort to brand the event as a music festival.
“I really want to give student artists and other local performers the opportunity to be part of the event,” Nigborowicz said. “Since the lineup is limited, only a few spots can be filled that way.”
UConnic, one of the few non-athletic events hosted within Gampel Pavilion, is ticketed due to its large size. The recent survey focused primarily on respondents’ preferences for musical selections but did include optional open-ended questions about students’ understanding of how the event is funded.
“There will always be a ticket charge because of how [SUBOG’s] funding structure works,” Nigborowicz said. “The ticket price helps offset what isn’t covered by [the concert committee’s] budget. There are also many additional expenses beyond the artist’s fee — production, hospitality, fire and safety, venue rental and more all contribute to the total cost of the show.”
As a Tier-III organization, SUBOG receives funding directly from student activity fees; SUBOG then distributes funding to subsidiary groups, such as the concert committee and other programs and initiatives.
Previous UConnic events have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Nigborowicz said she analyzes the survey results and reads all the individual feedback, working with UConn’s agent to tally the most popular and realistic options and determine if they are available to book.
“I can say there are definitely some [potential artists] that I am excited about,” she said. “Ultimately, we want to bring an artist that the students love, so I personally want to see a large turnout and an unforgettable performance.”
SUBOG has hosted performance events, including an annual spring concert, for decades. The UConnic format for the event started in 2018.
More information about UConnic, and eventual artist announcements, can be found at concert.subog.uconn.edu.