Joe Azar contributed to this report.
Following the announcement that Lil Yachty and Dizzy Wright would be Colorado Mesa University’s spring concert artists, students began voicing their opinion — civilly or not — on whether this was a good pick or not.
The Programming Activities Council is given $87,694 to put on the concert: paying the artists, for equipment and all other costs.
PAC has paid Lil Yachty $65,000 — the most in recent years.
Dizzy Wright was likely paid $10,000 or less for his opening act, according to estimates.
In previous years, American Authors cost $40,000, G-Eazy cost $30,000, Macklemore cost $45,000, Atmosphere cost $65,000 and 3OH!3 cost CMU $50,000, according to numbers provided by CMU Student Life.
Utilizing a website that aggregates possible concert acts called Concert Ideas, we have compiled a list of artists that we may have been able to afford.
Now, this compilation does not take into account time constraints, whether the artist’s rates have changed or the simple fact that CMU is kind of in the middle of nowhere.
This is purely hypothetical.
PAC is setting up the stage for Lil Yachty on Saturday, April 28 on CMU’s Grand Mesa Quad. Entrance begins at 6 p.m., and the show starts at 7 p.m. with Dizzy Wright as the opening act.
In the meantime, consider these whatifs:
Rap/Hip Hop
1Waka Flocka Flame ($25,000+)
Look ma, no hands.
2Sean Kingston ($25,000+)
Like you wouldn’t belt out “Your wayyyyy too beautiful girl”
3Lupe Fiasco ($35,000+)
You in high school would pop for this. No question.
4DRAM ($40,000+)
Yeah, the OTHER guy in the Broccoli song.
5Shaggy ($40,000+)
It wasn’t him.
6T-Pain ($45,000+)
Probably wouldn’t Buy U a Drank.
7Tyga ($45,000++)
That guy who dated Kylie Jenner.
8Desiigner ($45,000+)
Panda, Panda, Panda, Panda.
9Fat Joe ($45-50,000)
His songs would make you go ALL THE WAY UP.
10Lil Dicky ($70,000++)
What a Freaky Friday that would’ve been.
Country
11Hunter Hayes ($50,000+)
Country’s Mr. Steal Your Cowgirl.
12Tori Kelly ($50,000-75,000+)
Would’ve been better than those Nationwide commercials she’s in.
13Josh Turner ($65,000++)
His voice would swoon you.
14Eli Young Band ($65,000++)
Crazy Girl don’t you know that they love you.
15Dan + Shay ($70,000+)
Tequila!!!
16Kacey Musgraves ($75,000+++)
Though, with all those plus signs we probably couldn’t have afforded her.
17Randy Houser ($75,000+)
Runnin Outta Moonlinght? Not a problem for our concert.
18Tyler Farr ($75,000+)
He would’ve made Damn Good Friends at CMU.
19Chris Stapleton ($75-100,000)
The GOAT himself would’ve been cool.
Pop/Alternative
20Rusted Root ($15,000+)
Don’t know them? Watch Ice Age. You know them
21Plain White Ts ($35,000+)
Cry to “Hey There Delilah” like its 2006.
22Echosmith ($40,000+)
Yeah, we probably would have been like the cool kids.
23Neon Trees ($40,000+)
Everybody talks.
24Saint Motel ($40,000+)
My type of band.
25X Ambassadors ($50,000+)
Fun fact, we almost got them last year.
26Charli XCX ($50,000+)
BOOM. CLAP.
27George Ezra ($50,000+)
Grand Junction ain’t no Budapest but we can afford Ezra.
28James Blake ($60,000++)
If you’re into that type of low-key concert.
29Bleachers ($60,000+)
I wanna get better.
30Phillip Phillips ($65,000++)
We were surprised that he’s this expensive — we thought he was Gone, Gone, Gone.
31Grouplove ($75,000+)
Tongue Tied?
32Portugal. The man ($75,000+)
Do you Feel It Still?
33Young The Giant ($75,000+)
Probably would need some Cough Syrup after this show.
