Macklemore and Ryan Lewis are set to perform in the Chiles Center on April 14
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis (Photo courtesy of musicfestnw.com)
By Kate Peifer, Staff Writer -- peifer14@up.edu
Many UP students listen to his music, but no one guessed Macklemore would rap his way to The Bluff, much less with Ryan Lewis joining him.
CPB announced the dynamic duo as this year's Rock the Bluff performers for the concert April 14 at 8:30 p.m. in the Chiles Center.
According to CPB Director Sean Ducey, a member of CPB suggested the idea. CPB then spoke to surrounding schools, such as Linfield College who will host Macklemore in May and finally contacted their agent to discuss availability.
"I hear he is very personal and students will be within three feet of the stage if you're in the front row," CPB Director Sean Ducey said.
The performance will be a standing concert in Chiles, which holds 3,800 people, with a beer garden for people 21 and older before the show begins.
"Tickets are free for all students, faculty, staff, alumni and prospective students, and we always want to have the beer garden at various events for students to come together and also for seniors to network with alumni," Ducey said.
Planning for the event began last April as CPB worked with Events and Student Activities. According to Ducey, they are now kicking it into high gear for the fast-approaching concert.
"There's a lot that goes into planning and budgeting," Ducey said. "We have to get everything in order like P-Safe, who also hired Coast to Coast for security, and ushers to direct traffic."
According to Ducey, the budget for the event was flexible but the total cost for the performance won't be known until after the event.
"You have to pay the artist, pay for the venue, security, hospitality riders, staging and production company," Ducey said. "We made an offer to his agent and they made a counter-offer once."
According to Assistant Director of Student Activities Jillian Smith, many agencies and artists do not allow payment and cost information to be made public because it could affect the price of future concerts.
"Since CPB is paying an honorarium fee instead of charging for tickets, it is considered a private showing," Smith said. "If you charge for tickets, then the artist is paid by a percentage of tickets sold."
Some UP students, like junior Janie Oliphant, are unfamiliar with his music.
"I don't identify with Macklemore," Oliphant said. "I only know of him because of my sister."
Others feel the event will skew prospective students' image of UP due to its scheduled date.
"It's annoying it's during the same time as Weekend on The Bluff because it shows a false representation of campus life," sophomore Patrick Throckmorton said. "But I'm still really excited."
Still, the news of Macklemore coming to UP was well received by many students after CPB looked into his popularity on campus.
"I like how he started off smaller and not really that well known," sophomore Lauren Mainero said. "I have a rowing match that day, but I better be back in time because I am so excited."
