Trying to choose an artist who appeals to the majority on a campus of over 12,000 opinionated students seems like a difficult task, yet the Student Committee on Popular Entertainment (SCOPE) seems to have done just that not once, but twice this semester.
Up-and-coming rap star Future will perform at the Whittemore Center on April 29 in front of a packed arena. The show sold out in less than six hours. The following weekend, country crowd-pleaser Chase Rice will take the stage on May 7 for an equally sought-after show.
So how does SCOPE continue to announce performer after performer that seems to impress so much of the UNH campus population? SCOPE’s executive producer Connor Sullivan noted the importance of the surveys that students fill out to provide feedback at the end of each semester.
“SCOPE loves reading through all the requests on the surveys and [pays] attention to the popularity of each genre,” said Sullivan. “Country and rap have always been the most popular.”
With music popularity changing so frequently, it’s important for an organization like SCOPE to always be keeping in touch with what people are listening to, which is why such surveys have been implemented. Based on the high volume of ticket sales for both of the upcoming shows, the surveys seem to be doing their job.
The purchase of two separate tickets doesn’t appear to be a problem for most students, with a large majority of them attending both shows.
“I bought student floor tickets to both Future and Chase Rice for only $50,” said sophomore Sara Doran. “This price isn’t even half of what I would have to pay to see a similar performer at a venue other than school.”
Student ticket buyers have the option of buying either a 15 dollar bowl ticket or a 25 dollar floor ticket depending on whether they would like to be sitting or standing throughout the show. Like Doran said, these prices are extremely reasonable in comparison to venues such as TD Garden or the House of Blues in Boston.
Aside from affordability, another deciding reason for students considering attending both concerts is whether or not their friends listen to the type of music in question.
“I’m going to Future because my friends are going,” explained junior Lydia Brown, “and I’m going to Chase Rice because I actually like him.”
Students with similar attitudes to Brown may have never even heard one of Future’s songs, yet they bought tickets because their friends are rap fans. At the same time, other students who dislike country music bought Chase Rice tickets to spend time with their friends who do happen to like the genre.
“We try to hit different subgenres in both rap and country while also trying to please non-country and rap fans with other concerts,” stated Sullivan.
SCOPE seems to be aware that they will never be able to please every single student each semester, even with the helpful feedback that is provided in the surveys. However, they benefit from situations like Brown’s and other students who will follow in the footsteps of their friends and potentially become fans of the shows’ genres.
With summer break on the horizon, it’s becoming more difficult for students to stay focused on their classes and schoolwork. However, thanks to SCOPE, the last two weekends before finals will feature back-to-back concerts, ultimately providing some exciting study breaks.
