Battle of the Bands Kicks Off First Part of RhettRockz, Student Government’s Spring Festival
Battle of the Bands Kicks Off First Part of RhettRockz, Student Government’s Spring Festival
The winner will open for a yet-to-be-announced headliner at Agganis Arena May 3 concert
BU Student Government’s annual spring concert is getting a major overhaul this year—evolving from a one-night show into a student-led festival complete with live competitions, food vendors, and a yet-to-be-announced headliner. The recently elected Student Government (BridgeToBU) will not reveal the name of the headliner yet, but says it’s a “Grammy-nominated Top 50” act.
The festival, dubbed RhettRockz, kicks off tonight, March 30, with Battle of the Bands from 7:30 to 9:30 pm in the GSU Ballroom. Seven groups—each featuring at least one BU student—will compete for the chance to open the May 3 Agganis Arena concert. Students will vote live for the winner, and Student Government will announce the headliner at the end.
Past headliners for the annual concert have included Polo G, Sexxy Red, and Asake.
“One of [BridgeToBU’s] main initiatives was to introduce a spring concert that really centered student voices and [felt] more like a festival, rather than just one single headliner,” says Kate Dougherty (Sargent’26), codirector of talent and production. Three other student groups—which will be announced in April—will also perform at the main concert event, according to Tony Wu (CAS’26), Student Government vice president.
The planning process began in September, with the team recruiting the big musical act, according to Sarayu Goduguchinta (Sargent’26), codirector of talent and production.
This year, the Campus Activities Board and the Student Government events department merged, making it possible, Dougherty says, to create a larger event with the combined staffing.
Student tickets are expected to cost between $15 and $20 (and no more than $25), according to Wu. Tickets for guests will be higher, Goduguchinta says.
To provide a more encompassing festival experience focused on community and the arts, RhettRockz marks a shift away from a stand-alone concert, Wu says. He points to BU President Melissa Gilliam’s Living Our Values initiative as one of the guiding forces behind this.
“What better way to really integrate all this historical legacy and new feedback than creating a new spring festival experience for the student body?” he says.
Student leaders are also working with BU Athletics and with BU Dining for potential special food programming. Typically, the Student Government e-board handles all planning for the concert, but this year the event is a collective initiative, Wu says, involving multiple Student Government departments and the Campus Activities Board.
Moving forward, student leaders would like to see the event get bigger and better headliners and increased University support. “We’re hoping that with the artists reveal coming up next week and the success the day of, in years to come we have more people on board, more people willing to help and plan this amazing event,” Dougherty says.