The stage is set for this year's Spring Fest, and officials say they are bringing not only a full buffet of rock to the table, but a full festival of activities.
The Roots will be headlining the show, followed by artists Guster, Jason Mraz, and, according to an e-mail from Mraz to his fans, alternative rock act Finger Eleven. The event will take place Sunday, April 22 at 6 p.m.
The Student Association has announced three bands and is working with the fourth act in contract negotiations, although as of press time they could not publicly release the name of the band.
Spring Fest is traditionally reserved for rock acts and SA believes that the four bands will hit every category within the realm of rock.
"We wanted to look for a more diverse genre of music," said Takla Boujaoude, public relations manager for SA Entertainment. "We brought different aspects of rock to this fest. There is the acoustic and electric vibe, then there is The Roots, who appeal to every genre."
This year's Spring Fest will be a daylong event. The activities will kick off in the Alumni Arena parking lot at 2 p.m., where SA will be holding a "Pre-Fest" to include carnival games, prizes, free food, live music from local bands and other interactive events.
"We are bringing the festival theme back into (Spring Fest) so it's an all day theme," Boujaoude said. "Instead of people having to wait in line all day, students can just come hang out and listen to local bands."
The concert portion of the fest will last until 10 p.m., Boujaoude said, with each featured band to play a one-hour set. Also scheduled to play at the event is the UB Battle of the Band winner Juxtaposse, who will open the fest with a half hour set.
SA entertainment faced criticism after Fall Fest, when students endured lengthy security lines while waiting to be admitted into the concert and were forced to wait for rapper Cam'ron's late arrival.
"There is always going to be a line regardless of how we do it," Boujaoude said. "We figure with the Pre-Fest, instead of people complaining about the line, they can engage themselves in activities."
Guster, in addition to performing, will try to raise awareness within UB's student body about the environment with the band's Campus Consciousness Tour. Guster's Adam Gardner and his wife Lauren Sullivan created the first annual Campus Consciousness Tour in 2006 as a project for their non-profit, environmental organization Reverb, according to the band's Web site.
Boujaoude believes that the tour is perfect timing for UB because of the administration's recent focus on environmental issues, and the upcoming appearance of former Vice President Al Gore later this semester.
"The tour promotes earth-friendly gestures, and Spring Fest happens to be on Earth Day, so it's just going to be a huge UB Green Week," she said.
The bands were chosen after an extensive search by SA Entertainment's directors.
"We researched and exhausted every band that students would want, including the big bands," Boujaoude said. "Then we work the list down after searching what's hot in magazines."
Tickets for the concert are free for undergraduates and will be handed out the day of the event. Boujaoude said that there are plenty of tickets for students but they will need their UB cards to receive a ticket. Tickets will be made available to the general public for $30 at tickets.com and Tops supermarket locations.
"I think we did a good job at bringing together a couple of bands," she said. "I think students will at least leave the concert liking one of the bands."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
