Student Union Board (SUB) organizers said the Dec. 2 Better Than Ezra concert, much like October's Vince Vaughn comedy show, is a direct delivery on student requests for big-name acts on campus this year.
SUB Manager Jimmy Flaherty said the Board spent "quite a bit of time" surveying students about possible bands, as well as pricing.
"[Better Than Ezra] showed up as the top band and we were able to make it happen at a great price for students," he said.
Chris Lund, the SUB programmer in charge of the upcoming concert, said the survey included approximately ten bands and gauged which acts students most wanted to see. Better Than Ezra had "very positive results," he said.
Lund said "everyone from [Flaherty] through the programmers to the dorm reps" has worked to provide the type of entertainment students want to see.
"We work on behalf of [the students], and at the end of last year we heard what they would really like is for big-name entertainers to come to Notre Dame," Lund said.
This year, SUB has made a conscious effort to continue the success of its smaller events while still maintaining a consistent presence of large scale programming, Flaherty said.
"If big-name shows continue to be successful, we will have even more leverage in attempting to get popular acts in the future," Lund said.
Flaherty said SUB is working with local police and fire departments to maximize capacity of Stepan Center, the concert's scheduled venue.
"As we saw with the Vince Vaughn show, Stepan can actually be a nice location for a large event like this," Lund said.
Both Flaherty and Lund said SUB expects a sold out show.
"For only $10, this is a great concert, especially since the band sells out venues normally at $15 to $25," Flaherty said. "We encourage students to buy tickets as soon as possible to make sure they get a seat, as tickets are limited."
Tickets are on sale at the LaFortune Box Office.
"We know there are some SYRs on that night, but we have scheduled the show to start at 8 p.m. so it can be over by 10 p.m. so that all students will be able to attend their dances," Lund said.
Flaherty and Lund said due to legal reasons, SUB cannot comment on booking costs for the event.
"We are not allowed to disclose [the cost]. However if the show is successful and there is a large crowd, we would hope to bring another big band to campus in the spring," Lund said.
