THE Volume 93, Issue 7
Q
UADRANGLE A Student Publication of Manhattan College Since 1924
March 8, 2016
www.mcquad.org
T-Pain To Headline Spring Concert
T-Pain is this years’ selected artist after recieving 50 percent of student votes in an online survey. T-Pain/ Courtesy
Ally Hutzler Editor-in-Chief
After a successful, 90s era nostalgic performance by the All American Rejects last year, T-Pain will be headlining the upcoming spring concert scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 23. The singer-songwriter has 60 hit songs under his belt, including “Best Love Song,” “Blame It” and “Buy U a Drank,” and has won two Grammy awards. The artist was selected after receiving approximately 50 percent of the vote in an online survey that asked students to select their preferred performer. The Fray came in second place, with 37 percent of the vote, and Linkin Park finished third with 36 percent of the vote. “Hundreds of students voted and T-Pain
was the leader. So we started with him,” John Bennett, director of Student Activities, said. T-Pain originally denied the offer made by Student Activities because he was already booked for an evening show on that date. But when the office discovered that his other performance was in the Northeast, they decided to make the same offer but this time for a daytime show. T-Pain was then willing to accept. “That is why it is a daytime show. It has nothing to do with student behavior, it was based on his availability,” Bennett said. T-Pain gave the school an option to do either track music or a live band, and currently the plans are in motion to use the band. His set is scheduled to be 75 minutes. “According to his producers and agents that is the better show. Supposedly, T-Pain knows how to play all of the instruments
that are going to be on stage,” Bennett said. Currently, there is no opening performance. The headliner often has a list of possible first acts, such as performers who are signed to the same label, but T-Pain does not come with any opening artists. Student Activities has even considered not having one at all because student feedback from previous years has pointed to dissatisfaction. “Between the opening act and the main performance, there is about a half hour of dead time,” Bennett said. “It totally kills the momentum and energy.” In addition to the concert, the annual weekend often includes other related festivities. Last year there was a carnival and barbecue on the quad, which included an inflatable climbing wall and trampolines. This year, the decision is left up to the students. Student Activities has allowed Student
Government to work with the student body in order to brainstorm possible events. The list needs to be handed in to the office by spring break, which begins on March 13. “Anything is on the table, there is nothing that can’t be discussed,” Bennett said. Students do not need to worry about purchasing tickets or ever being denied entrance from the concert due to capacity issues. All that is required the day of the show is their student identification card. Last spring, over 2,000 students made their way to Draddy gymnasium for the show, and Bennett hopes that this year will garner the same amount of enthusiasm and excitement. “At the end of the day all we care about is making the students happy,” Bennett said.