To kick off the week, the Student Programming Board hosted Quinnipiac University’s highly anticipated artist reveal for this year’s Wake the Giant Monday.
Students gathered in the Carl Hansen Student Center to enjoy free pizza with the company of friends as excitement grew and the minutes ticked down.
A 10-second countdown began at approximately 12:15 p.m. and students erupted in cheers after finding out that NLE Choppa would take the stage on Sunday, April 27, at the M&T Bank Arena.
Leading up to the announcement, SPB teased potential headliners on Instagram, leaving students to guess who it could be.
Artists such as Ke$ha, 21 Savage, Shaboozey and Fleet Foxes were included in a bracket-style poll, allowing students to vote and narrow down the choices to the final two: NLE Choppa and Zach Bryan.
“I thought Zach Bryan would be kind of cool too, but I feel like for a concert you need more hype music,” Grace Ungewitter, a first-year diagnostic sonography major, said.
Many students were happy with the school’s decision to go with NLE Choppa.
Aleksandra Schake, a first-year biomedical science major and Olivia Gouzenko, a first-year health science major were hoping for NLE Choppa; their attendance fully dependent on him performing.
“I don’t know a lot of people that actually wanted Zach Bryan to come perform,” Schake said. “I’m also not a country fan, neither of us like country, so if it was Zach Bryan, I wouldn’t be going.”
With the final choices representing opposite ends of the music spectrum, this year’s concert had people guessing until the very end. Now, they’re eager to see what NLE Choppa brings to the stage.
“I think this concert will be really fun for QU students,” Justice Korn, a junior finance major, said. “It’ll definitely have a different energy from last year, and it’ll be cool to see NLE Choppa up close.”
Some students aren’t willing to arrive early for floor tickets but wouldn’t miss the concert regardless.
EJ Gorman, a sophomore journalism major, hopes to secure a ticket before they sell out, saying he just wants the chance to attend.
“I think just being there is going to be a better experience than trying to wait there for five hours to get a spot in the front row,” Gorman said. “I think either way, I’ll be able to have a good time.”
The concert is open to all undergraduate Quinipiac students, as well as those in their first graduate year of a 3+1 program. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the concert begins at 8 p.m. with an opening DJ.
Tickets went on sale the same day of the announcement at 3 p.m., with floor tickets priced at $25 and seats at $20.
