There will not be a Big Free Concert this spring due to the semester switch, despite the popularity of the concerts in the past.
The Ohio Union Activities Board typically hosts several free concerts throughout the year, including a Big Free Concert in the spring. However, this year, OUAB members decided to make a change.
“Due to the transition from quarters to semesters, the school year ends much earlier than in years past, and OUAB was forced to make certain adjustments to our programming schedule,” said OUAB president Mia Grube in an email. “As a result of the new calendar, it would have been necessary to schedule the concert in late March or April, at a time when the weather is very unpredictable and not conducive to a large, outdoor event.”
Last year’s Big Free Concert, held in May on the South Oval, featured Skrillex and Mac Miller. Grube estimated that attendance for the event was between 10,000 and 12,000 people.
Representatives from OUAB declined to say how much money was spent on the 2012 spring concert.
One student who attended the concert last year said the weather shouldn’t be an issue for hosting a spring concert.
“They could have done it at the end of the year and it would have been (nice) like this,” said Cameron Hynes, a second-year in neuroscience.
Grube said OUAB offered free tickets for a concert featuring Maroon 5, Neon Trees and Owl City on Feb. 13 and discounted tickets for a BuckeyeThon Benefit Concert with Kendrick Lamar, Steve Aoki and Bad Rabbits on April 11 to compensate for the lack of a free outdoor spring concert.
OUAB planned ahead for the semester switch and hosted the same number of outdoor concerts as last year, just at different times, to keep up with the success the outdoor concerts have had in the past, Grube said.
“We were able to host two large, outdoor concerts in Fall Semester, those being Welcome Week Concert and Rock the Oval with O.A.R., which is typically the amount of outdoor concerts we have planned per year on the quarter calendar,” she said in an email. “Additionally, recognizing that several concerts were held in the Fall Semester, funding was also redirected to support other spring campus events such as speakers, special events, live music, comedy and more.”
Some students said they were disappointed there will not be a spring concert this year.
“I had an excellent time (last year),” Hynes said. “I was even asking people about it, who was going to come this year.”
Long Nguyen, a second-year in biomedical engineering, agreed that he was looking forward to another spring concert.
“I wouldn’t know who they would get, but I would probably go no matter what,” Nguyen said. “The concert (last year) was worth it. I would have paid $40 for the concert alone.”
Grube said students seem satisfied with the events provided despite changes to the schedule.
“OUAB has received questions through social media regarding this change, but overall, students have been very impressed with the concerts provided and different genres of music represented throughout the 2012-2013 school year,” she said.