Another hip-hop act will take the Finals Fest stage April 29. ILoveMakonnen – who is known for his song “Tuesday” in collaboration with Drake – will headline the annual event.
“We found our headliner, Makonnen, and we”re really excited,” said Lauren Pinney, Vandal Entertainment board chair.
Vandal Entertainment | Courtesy
ILoveMakonnen will headline Finals Fest April 29 on the University of Idaho SprinTurf.
Pinney said the Vandal Entertainment board received consensus that hip-hop was the genre students wanted to see. She said after surveying friends of the Vandal Entertainment board and ASUI, the board voted for Makonnen to take the stage.
“I hear his stuff at every party I go to,” said sophomore Camille Awbrey, Vandal Entertainment lectures and performing arts chair. “I started listening to him probably the summer before freshman year. It”s all very much something to have fun to.”
Pinney said although Makonnen may not have as much name recognition as other artists, she is confident almost everyone has heard his music.
“If you listen to the radio, you will have heard his song “Tuesday,”” Pinney said.
This year”s Finals Fest will have more going on than a single headlining band.
“We really wanted to put together a dynamic Finals Fest format that was really more like a finals festival,” Pinney said.
Pinney said creating an environment similar to popular summer music festivals was important to the board. Finals Fest 2016 will take place on the SprinTurf instead of the Kibbie Dome, and will feature Makonnen and four other musical acts.
Pinney said Vandal Entertainment is still finalizing contracts with the artists and hopes to announce them soon. She said they are looking at talent of multiple genres from the Boise, Portland or Seattle areas.
“It”s totally different trying to find local artists who fit the bill,” Pinney said.
Food trucks, art installations and a student art fair will accompany the musical performances.
“There”s different dynamics,” said Samantha Tanigawa, Vandal Entertainment promotions chair. “There”s lots of different environments within the same event.”
Pinney said by eliminating ticket costs and creating a festival-like environment she hopes to serve students” needs.
“We, as students, would be really excited to attend it,” Pinney said of the board.
Pinney said unlike previous years, Finals Fest would be paid for entirely out of the budget, instead of relying on ticket costs to break even.
Finals Fest will take place from 4-10 p.m. April 29. General public tickets are on sale online now for $15 through UI”s ticket office. Tickets will be $20 at the door. Students do not need to purchase tickets. They need their VandalCard for entry.
Katelyn Hilsenbeck can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @Katelyn_mh