For the second time in as many festivals, a performer for one of UB's Fests has cancelled the performance, leaving SA Entertainment with the challenge of replacing an act on short notice.
Hoobastank, the band originally scheduled to headline Spring Fest as part of MTV's Campus Invasion Tour, had to cancel the festival due to a payment dispute with SA Entertainment.
Bands Ima Robot and LostProphets, which were also scheduled to perform, will not be playing the annual show.
"It is an unfortunate incident, but SA Entertainment is working hard to reschedule three bands of similar caliber and quality for the enjoyment of the UB students," said SA Entertainment Assistant Director John Haumesser.
Though Haumesser would not confirm them as performers, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Hanson and Savage Garden are listed on www.pollstar.com to perform at UB on April 23, the scheduled day of Spring Fest.
The concert will be held in either Alumni Arena or Baird Point, dependent on weather conditions, he added.
"It was an exhaustive search, but we are pleased that we have been able to reschedule such quality bands on such short notice," he added. "We're glad we have our thumb on the pulse of the UB community."
This is the second time this year that SA Entertainment has had to reschedule a Fest performer. Busta Rhymes cancelled shortly before Fall Fest and was promptly replaced by rapper Nas.
Early response to the switch seems favorable, as the campus is already rumbling with the news of the last minute change.
"I was really, really disappointed when I heard Hoobastank wouldn't be playing this year. I mean it's always been my dream to see them live," said Jessica McKenna, a junior aerospace engineering major.
"But now, I can't even imagine how excited I will be for Savage Garden. Seriously, that band has been the single most inspiring element of my life," she added.
Freshman communication major Frank Boucounis echoed McKenna's sentiments.
"I'll love Savage Garden more with every breath," he said. "Truly, madly, deeply do. To me, they're a new beginning, a reason for living, a deeper meaning. I want to stand with them on a mountain."
Still other students were equally excited for the chance to see Toad the Wet Sprocket, which has just recently begun touring again, and Hanson, the highly touted trio of brothers who many critics say have had nearly as much influence on the music industry as The Beatles.
"OH MY GOD! Oh my god. Hanson?! Coming here?!," said Sarah Jackson, a freshman music major. "I'm going to marry Taylor! Those boys are so hott!"
"And it's a good thing they're coming now, because you never know if a band that pushes the envelope like that will break up. It's like in an mmmbop they're not there," she added.
