The arrival of emo rock band Dashboard Confessional on Oct. 1 has created a record-breaking time in ticket sales.
The UAO has sold out a concert before. However, this year the tickets, selling at $10 for students purchasing them in the University and $15 for non-students, are selling out the fastest UAO has ever seen.
As of the morning of Sept. 15, only 400 tickets were left to sell.
“There is such an overwhelming student interest,” said Jenna Gable, president of the UAO.
Based off of the survey the UAO gives every spring, the decision for what band will perform during Homecoming weekend was determined.
“We give over 3,000 surveys,” Gable said and added that if they cannot get a certain band to come, the surveys allow an easy way to pick another band based on the certain genre of music that the people are interested in.
The band costs the UAO $50,000 to perform, but compared to the $70,000 or $75,000 that bands in the past – like hip-hop artist Ludacris – have cost, Gable said this was a pretty reasonable price.
“It’s a good community builder for the students to get together on Homecoming weekend and enjoy a good band for a relatively low cost,” Gable said.
Many students jumped at the opportunity to see a big band at a cheap price.
“I think it’s great because you can’t really get to see a show, even local bands, for 10 bucks,” said sophomore Stephanie Agoston, a big fan of the band.
“I really started getting into them mostly within this year … my brother got me hooked on them,” said Agoston, “I was screaming when my friend showed me the paper saying that they were coming.”
While the concert itself is the biggest event the UAO is doing for Homecoming weekend, they had a Dashboard Confessional contest in the Black Swamp Pub on Sept. 15, where local musicians performed to compete for front row seats to the concert.
“It’s a good way to actually showcase local and campus-wide talent,” Gable said and added that most first- or second-year students do not always know about the Black Swamp Pub so the contest is a good way to introduce them to the pub.
“[The Black Swamp Pub] – it’s where they can have good, clean, safe, fun,” Gable said.
