Headliner concerts might be fun, but cost hundreds of thousands of dollars for UA
Brian Washburn
Issue date: 2/25/09 Section: News
Rap superstar T.I. will perform in Barnhill Arena tonight as a part of the UA Headliner Concerts Committee's spring concert.
The committee has invited Grammy award-winning artists like T.I., the Foo Fighters and John Mayer, as well as a multitude of others, including OAR.
Though many UA students and residents of Northwest Arkansas attend the events each semester, the current economic crisis is discouraging U.S. residents from spending more than they can afford on perks like concerts.
However, the amount of money used to bring headlining acts to the UA is not going to decline.
"The downturn in the economy has not really made a difference in how the committee chooses or brings acts to campus," said Scott Flanagin, UA director of communications and outreach for Student Affairs.
T.I., the Foo Fighters and John Mayer have all sold more than several million albums each, and their popularity reflects in the price the UA paid for their performances.
This year, rapper T.I. cost the HCC $100,000 to perform at Barnhill, Flanagin said.
But this is not the most expensive concert the UA has hosted. Both the Foo Fighters and John Mayer cost the committee $150,000, Flanagin said.
This abundance of money is not funded by the state or by the university.
"This is fee-based, so it depends on how many students are enrolled each semester," Flanagin said. "The fee is 55 cents per credit hour. On average, this generates about $202,000 per year. This is where the funds come from to put on the shows."
While the cost to obtain headlining artists is relatively large, other funds still are required to put on the show.
"[The amount of money required to put on a concert] varies greatly from concert to concert," Flanagin said. "Some acts bring in everything they need, while others fly in and only bring themselves, such as T.I. If there is a national tour at the time, that also is a different ball of wax.
The committee has invited Grammy award-winning artists like T.I., the Foo Fighters and John Mayer, as well as a multitude of others, including OAR.
Though many UA students and residents of Northwest Arkansas attend the events each semester, the current economic crisis is discouraging U.S. residents from spending more than they can afford on perks like concerts.
However, the amount of money used to bring headlining acts to the UA is not going to decline.
"The downturn in the economy has not really made a difference in how the committee chooses or brings acts to campus," said Scott Flanagin, UA director of communications and outreach for Student Affairs.
T.I., the Foo Fighters and John Mayer have all sold more than several million albums each, and their popularity reflects in the price the UA paid for their performances.
This year, rapper T.I. cost the HCC $100,000 to perform at Barnhill, Flanagin said.
But this is not the most expensive concert the UA has hosted. Both the Foo Fighters and John Mayer cost the committee $150,000, Flanagin said.
This abundance of money is not funded by the state or by the university.
"This is fee-based, so it depends on how many students are enrolled each semester," Flanagin said. "The fee is 55 cents per credit hour. On average, this generates about $202,000 per year. This is where the funds come from to put on the shows."
While the cost to obtain headlining artists is relatively large, other funds still are required to put on the show.
"[The amount of money required to put on a concert] varies greatly from concert to concert," Flanagin said. "Some acts bring in everything they need, while others fly in and only bring themselves, such as T.I. If there is a national tour at the time, that also is a different ball of wax.
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