Big Free's headliner still to be announced

In the past, the Big Free Music Festival has brought headlining bands such as the Urge and Jurassic 5 to MU. But no headlining band has yet been announced for the festival, which is in its third year. The only band confirmed so far is Johnny O and the Jer

By Meg Walsh

Published March 21, 2006

In the past, the Big Free Music Festival has brought headlining bands such as the Urge and Jurassic 5 to MU. But no headlining band has yet been announced for the festival, which is in its third year. The only band confirmed so far is Johnny O and the Jerks, winner of the Missouri Students Association's Battle of the Bands.

Nick Trusty, director of the Department of Student Activities, along with three other students and a chaperone attended South by Southwest, a nine-day music festival held in Austin, Texas. The DSA budget, funded by student fees, paid for the group's four-day trip. Trusty said while in Austin, he and other DSA members talked to agents and a few bands and made plans for several concerts in the fall.

"We wanted to check out some prospective bands," Trusty said. "The festival gave us the chance to do this."

Although DSA has started work on scheduling next semester's events, the set list for next month's Big Free Music Festival has yet to be confirmed. In the past, DSA has announced the headlining act in early March, but Trusty said he would not confirm any bands, aside from Johnny O and the Jerks, until right before or in the week following spring break.

Trusty said that because DSA cannot publicize any bands until confirmation is made, he cannot release the names of any bands DSA has considered.

Former MSA Vice President Cheryl Tomes said Big Free is funded by rollover funds in the MSA budget. Last year, she created a separate account for Big Free so it would be easier to transfer the funds for Big Free. MSA's fiscal cycle begins July 1 of each year.

Student Fee Review Committee Chairman Jason Blunk said the Big Free account was created to track expenses for the concert. Blunk worked with Tomes on her budget proposal and with current MSA Vice President Brooke Moody's proposal for next fiscal year. He said funding in the Big Free account could vary. Trusty said this year's Big Free budget "probably" would be similar to last years, which was about $100,000.

"The success of DSA's other shows determines how much money can be transferred into the rollover Big Free fund," Blunk said.

He said Moody set up the same rollover fund for Big Free in her proposed budget for the 2006-2007 fiscal year.