By Claire Lewis
It was announced on August 17th that Grammy Award-winning band OK Go would be headlining the Discover Louisville Festival, the first annual concert of its kind at the University of Louisville. The festival will be sponsored by the University and various businesses around the Louisville area, including Ear-X-tacy and local radio station 91.9 WFPK.
The project is, in part, a result of combined efforts of the Student Government Association and the student body.
“We did focus groups with students and what our students really wished they had been provided was info about what Louisville had to offer, so we were looking for a way to introduce students to the community,” said Office Liason of Student Affairs John Drees. “SGA was calling for an annual concert, something for the students to rally around.”
While there have been an abundance of recognizable names visit U of L over the years, bringing a nationally recognizable artist that would relate to students was something that the university had lacked. Once the decision was made to create this concert, the next step was booking artists.
“We presented the idea to the Student Government Association and students around campus,” said Drees. “OK Go came to the top of the lists every time.”
Famous for their treadmill dance moves, OK Go gained international fame in 2006 with the YouTube release of their music video for “Here it Goes Again.” They are currently on tour for their latest album, “Of the Blue Colour of the Sky.”
Financially speaking, the band was way out of U of L’s range, but through hard work on the part of students and the festival’s sponsors, namely connections through Ear-X-tacy and WFPK, the University managed to book the band.
“OK Go kind of fell into our laps,” says Drees. “We are thrilled to death.”
University staff aren’t the only ones who are excited about the festival, which is free and open to the public. Many students see it as a chance to share U of L pride with the community.
“It shows that we don’t have to pay money for everything,” said sophomore Kirsten Plunkett. “that the best things in life can be free. It puts a positive spotlight on U of L. The school is already known for its athletics and medical research, but this takes it to a whole different level.”
The President’s Office, SGA, and the Student Activities Board are all behind the project, hoping that it will attract the public to the University’s campus.
“SGA is one of several sponsors for the OK Go concert,” said SGA president Sana Abhari. “We agreed to become a sponsor with the consideration that the concert series would have continuity assurance because it is a stipulation within the 20/20 plan. We are excited to finally have this kind of concert series to present to the students at U of L.”
The festival will begin at 6 p.m. on October 12th at the Grawmeyer Hall oval. The concert is free for students and the public alike, with free parking available in U of L’s Third Street lot. The festival will include booths from dozens of independent businesses from around the city, with various activities for students to take part in.
“This is a student-driven idea,” said Drees. “What we hope is that we will have a huge crowd, and that this festival will be the first of many in the coming years.”
