Party's Over: A Message to University Union
By: Jack Mullins
Hey UU!
You have no idea what Block Party is, so let’s break down the name: Block Party!
When have we put on Faye Webster at a function?! And when have we ever decided to turn off Travis Scott, Gunna, Baby Keem, or Gucci Mane (scheduled Block Party headliners from the last 6 years) for Surfaces?! The answer to both of those is NEVER. SO WHY DID YOU DO THAT?
We all have a feeling that this lineup is the product of scrambling to find anyone to perform at Block Party last second. But even if we’re giving y’all the benefit of the doubt, assuming you were trying to create a lineup more diverse in genre, we still have a big problem! Block Party can only realistically consist of certain genres to create the intended vibe. The lineup has to create a PARTY. This means that you, as event organizers, need to select artists that perform high-energy and engaging music: stuff people get hyped about. If we’re going to keep it brutally honest, headliners should come from the rap and pop genres — and with pop, we’re talking again about high-energy products, not dream-pop or anything mellow.
Juice Jam has been the place where we let this slide, where we understand that y’all are going to book some trendy artists to satisfy the general student body. But Block Party has a history of excellence in booking artists such as the aforementioned stars, and the apparent lack of care that went into ensuring the continuation of this excellence is extremely disappointing. For myself and other Aminé fans, it now feels like a burden to go see him because we have to sit through these two other acts. Again, these two other acts are respectable artists but don’t fit the mood of Block Party, while Aminé does, and the lack of overlap between these fanbases makes for an inconsistent and unenjoyable concert experience. There are not more than a handful of students who will be excited to sit through the entirety of this concert.
The lineup that was originally announced last year was Baby Keem, Gunna, 070 Shake, and A-Trak. The lineup initially announced for this year was Aminé and Faye Webster. It is clear that far less of the budget was expended on this year’s Block party. Myself and many others are frustrated that UU did not use a greater extent of their purchasing power to get acts that students really wanted. Paying a little more than you should for a fan favorite is miles better than paying a fair price for some mid.
Lastly, stop sending those surveys at the start of the year. Nothing in those surveys is honest. They give the illusion of the students having the power to vote for the artists who will perform. UU instead just picks up whatever artist is already on a college tour and can easily fill in. That long list of names stirs a deceptive hope that benefits nobody and is the catalyst of disappointment for a lineup like this.
When your IG posts are full of students dissatisfied with the lineup, maybe read some comments to figure out what people want before you go and book Surfaces.