By Jessica Booth
If you’re interested in good music and everything about concerts, then Hofstra Concerts might be the club for you. Hofstra Concerts organizes all of the concerts and shows on campus, from big to small. The club makes the decisions on which artists will play at the University each year.
It’s thanks to Hofstra Concerts that students had the opportunity to see artists such as Jason Mraz and Estelle earlier this year. Besides this two big concerts, the club also organized the Verizon Wireless sponsored tour in the beginning of the year, which featured Boys Like Girls, Cute is What We Aim For, and Life.
The last big show for the year is the Hofstra Music Fest the weekend before classes end. The Music Fest is the concert that the club prepares its hardest for, and this year features performances by several bands, including As Tall As Lions, Big D and the Kids Table.
“We tried to get a lot of different genres so that everyone could enjoy them,” says president Jackie Finney. The club also worked with Entertainment Unlimited to set up other various activities for the Music Fest, including an inflatable rock wall, laser tag and an antique car show.
The hardest thing for members of the club to do is to pick the bands that are going to play at each concert. Not only do they have to worry about their budget, but they also have to deal with the various and very different musical tastes of each student.
“We try to think of who would do well, what’s a type of music we haven’t really had here lately, what we think people would enjoy,” says Finney. “Our budget is definitely a big constraint.”
Besides the larger concerts that most people hear about, the club also puts on smaller and lesser-known shows called coffeehouses. These are usually held in Hofstra USA, downstairs in the Student Center, or outside in the nicer weather. The coffeehouses give local bands from Long Island and the tri-state area a chance to perform. It also gives students a cheap or free show and something different to do.
“Come, hang out on a week-night, eat some food, watch the show,” says Finney. “Its fun, and it’s a way for us to keep bringing music to campus.”
“We really try to do our best,” says Finney. “We all love music in this club, that’s why we do it. We know we can never please everybody, but we hope that people enjoy the shows.”