By Elizabeth Hammond Staff writer
On April 1, headliner Andy Grammer and opener PUBLIC performed on Degenstein Lawn for Susquehanna’s spring concert.
Grammer opened up with two of his biggest hits, “Keep Your Head Up” and “Fine By Me,” off his debut album.
During his time on stage, not all the songs were his; in fact, he sang a number of cover songs throughout the night.
The first of them was Jon Bellion’s “All Time Low,” followed by Drake’s, “One Dance.”
Other cover songs included “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol and “Don’t Let Me Down” by The Chainsmokers.
He ended his set on an optimistic note by playing “Good to Be Alive.”
Throughout the concert, students in attendance sang along to his original and cover songs.
“The concert was sort of a celebration point of making it this far in the school year,” sophomore Katie Willis said. “At this point in the semester everyone is run down with work and extra-curriculars but the concert really brought the whole student body together for a night of fun, which I thought was well deserved. It was definitely a pick me up.”
The Spring Concert at Susquehanna is put on by the Student Activities Committee.
SAC gets a concert budget every year after the president and vice president of the organization sit down with an advisor to discuss allotted amounts.
Junior President Bianca DiTrolio said, “This year we wanted to be consistent with having two concerts, although they were in one semester.”
When it came to the ultimate decision of what artists to bring she said, “We wanted to bring different types of artists from different genres to appeal more to a variety of students.”
After they made the decision of who to bring, their attention went to the preparation aspect of these concerts.
Prior to the event, SAC had to sign numerous contracts and riders, which included all the needs of the artists such as a performance space, lighting, location, food and accommodations.
DiTrolio gave a little insight into what the concert weekend looks like for a SAC member.
She said, “The day of or before the concert, SAC helps the company put up all of the lights, sound equipment and the stage.”
She added: “This requires a lot of teamwork and heavy lifting. We also help the company pack their trucks with all of the equipment as soon as the show is over.”
After a long concert weekend, DiTrolio said, “It is a great accomplishment to look back on and be proud to say that we accomplished all of this for our university.”
Grammer was just the first weekend in this two-part concert series.
On April 7, Sage the Gemini will be at Susquehanna for the final night. His set will start at 9 p.m. on Degenstein Lawn.
DiTrolio added that if any student is interested in helping to tear down the set after Friday’s concert, students are welcomed to come help.
If anyone is interested in helping with tear-down for Sage the Gemini, contact DiTrolio or the concert coordinator, Jin Zhang.
