Music event draws crowds
May 6, 2008
The Walkmen perform at Springfest, co-hosted by KCOU and the College Music Committee, at The Blue Note on Saturday. The lineup also included the bands Serengeti, The Vanity Affair, Peace By Punching and Wayfare.
Typically it’s nights at The Blue Note that bring in music lovers, ready to listen and dance to the beats of their favorite acts. But on Saturday the venue was filled with listeners throughout the entire day, most of which were MU students.
Saturday marked campus radio station KCOU/88.1’s annual Springfest event, a daylong music festival dedicated to KCOU listeners. The crowd was small at the 2 p.m. start of the event, but grew much larger as the day progressed and ended at 8 p.m.
“It’s essentially a listener appreciation event in a way,” KCOU General Manager Pat Fleming said. “We have money in our budget for listener appreciation related activities or needs, and this is what a lot of that money goes to.”
Mizzou After Dark Battle of the Bands winner Wayfare started off the event, and groups Peace By Punching, The Vanity Affair, Serengeti and The Walkmen also shared their musical talents with attendees. Fleming said a selection committee of about six KCOU station staff members chose the bands that would play at the event. The committee tried to provide a variety of music so that all students could find something to enjoy, Fleming said. Links to each of the band’s Web sites were available on the KCOU Web site so students could get an idea of what they’d be hearing before attending.
KCOU staff members were involved in all parts of the planning process, and also volunteered to help out with the event. Student tech staff also helped to set up instruments and make sure equipment was set up and ready to go. For MU students, the event was free, and for the general public it cost two dollars.
Springfest was promoted through a variety of mediums, including a Facebook.com event set up by KCOU News Director John Dobson, fliers posted around campus and in residence halls and an advertisement in the MU Info e-mail. KCOU staff also advertised the event on the station’s Web site.
Senior Justine Volkers said she heard about the event through MU Info, and she and her friends decided to go because they like experiencing new music and thought it would be fun.
“We’ve been to The Blue Note for shows before, and it sounded like a cool event,” Volkers said. “We’re planning to stay for awhile and see some bands.”
This year, KCOU worked more closely with the Missouri Students Association Department of Student Activities College Music Committee, a group that has a lot of experience with booking bands and organizing performances. DSA Director Rachel Parrish said in the past DSA has assisted KCOU with booking bands, but this year played a larger role in making the event happen. Parrish said she thought the planning process and the day of Springfest went really smoothly.
“We had good attendance, with students coming in and out throughout the day,” Parrish said. “People got to see the bands they wanted to and I think they really enjoyed them, and The Walkmen did amazing.”
CMC paid for the headliner The Walkmen and KCOU paid for the other performers.
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