Students anticipate “big” artists to perform at concert

Jessica Rodriguez/Contributing Writer

Take a 25,000-seat stadium, throw in about 15,000 music fans, add a little bit of Panther Pride to go with Cobra Starship, B.o.B., and Kaskade and you’ve got yourself this year’s FIU Homecoming Panthermonium Concert 2012.

The Homecoming Committee is in charge of hosting the event. They gathered student opinions and planned this concert since January, in hopes of making the night perfect. But is an American pop/electronic band, an R&B artist and a worldwide known DJ enough to make the Panthers happy? Freshman marketing major Karina Nogues thinks so.

“I went to the Kaskade concert and it exceeded my expectations, so I’m really excited to see what he’s going to bring this time around,” said Nogues.

Kaskade ranked 30 out of the top 100 DJs in the world, according to DJ Magazine’s Top 100.

“We tried our best to get artists that are big in the music industry. It took a lot of bargaining, but thanks to our HC agent, it’s finally happening,” said Kelly Ibarra, homecoming intern. She says she can’t wait to see B.o.B. “I know all of their songs. They are the best.”

As hard as it was to get these performers, some students aren’t pleased with the selection and are deciding to skip the Panthermonium Concert, which is understandable considering the population of FIU students and the number of fans in the community that can purchase a ticket.

Junior psychology major Janelle Lopez said, “House isn’t really my thing, and I just like to come to class and go home. I don’t spend much time on campus.”

We’re going to have to wait and see if the music genres selected affect the turnout of the concert.

The HC chooses artists that classify under an “upbeat” genre. The point of homecoming is to get everyone pumped up for the fall semester. A country singer wouldn’t be appropriate for the occasion.

Freshman political science major Harry Guerrero is counting down the days to watch Kaskade perform.

“I couldn’t go to the concert, so it worked out perfectly that he’s coming here. I’m so pumped,” said Guerrero. And he isn’t the only one that missed out on the concert back in July and is taking advantage of the free opportunity. With all the buildup about Kaskade, B.o.B. and Cobra Starship better come prepared to steal the spotlight.

There’s a lot of pressure on the committee and only about 30 members to make it happen, surprisingly enough. You’d think an event that took $1 million to host was set up by more people. As for next years’ performers, the Homecoming Committee has a couple of ideas, but has decided to focus all its attention on making this concert memorable for all University students.