The lineup for the much anticipated Maine Day concert was announced last week. The opening act for the event — which will take place on April 27— is rapper Skizzy Mars with Chelsea Cutler as the supporting artist. The headliner for the event is rapper and singer T-Pain, known for making a string of hit singles in the mid to late 2000s including “Buy U a Drank.”
The process of making the Maine Day concert a reality is a long and tedious one as there are a lot of logistics that go into it. Vice President of Student Entertainment for Student Government Corey Claflin, and Assistant to the Vice President of Student Entertainment Gregory Warmuth, started planning for the event around the middle of the fall semester.
One aspect that both Warmuth and Claflin are excited about is the diverse range of talent they were able to bring in this year. Cutler and Mars are up-and-coming artists while T-Pain is a relatively established figure.
A lot of different factors go into deciding who the acts will be. Claflin and Warmuth tried to focus on signing talent that are popular and would put on the most entertaining show, not necessarily who will bring in the most money.
“It’s really not about bringing in the top ten billboard artist, but finding the right artist that’s going to have the best show,” Claflin explained.
Jack Padroff, a first–year electrical engineering technology student, is planning on going to the concert despite hearing mixed reviews from past concerts.
“I heard that people think we get performers that college kids don’t really listen to, but the concert itself is fun,” Padroff said. “I think this year’s concert should be fun, though, because it’s going to be outside and T-Pain is someone who most people know.”
One notable difference in this year’s concert is the location change to the Hilltop Lot. Many students expressed dissatisfaction at last year’s venue in Alfond Arena, and Claflin said this is something that was taken into account. Having an outdoor venue was one of the biggest goals for the concert this year.
Though in past years outside concerts were held in the Collins Center for the Arts (CCA) or Belgrade parking lots, the concert this year will be in the Hilltop Lot. This is to be more considerate of noise with the several research facilities near the CCA lot, Claflin said.
“UMSG is bringing a new and interesting selection of artists to campus at an outdoor venue that should appeal to more undergraduate students and increase the size of the concert this year.
If the Maine spring weather permits, of course,” Chase Flaherty, a current senator and the vice president-elect for Student Government, said.
Kate Leavitt, a fourth-year political science and sociology student, is a veteran Maine Day concert attendee, having gone every spring but her first year. Leavitt said she has high hopes for this year.
“Last year was good but it wasn’t the same because it wasn’t outside. I’m really excited for this year though,” Leavitt said. “I don’t mind it being in a new parking lot. Anything is better than the Alfond last year. It didn’t feel right, it being inside.”
Tickets for the concert will be available from April 8-19. They can be picked up for free at the Student Government table in the Union with a valid undergraduate Mainecard.
“I would recommend [to] students that want to go, it’s better to pick up tickets sooner rather than later as they are first come first serve,” Claflin said.
Tickets for community members are $25.
