University Union : DJ Diplo to perform at Hillel concert
DJ and musical artist Diplo will perform March 26 as part of Hillel at Syracuse University’s 60th anniversary celebration.
‘We went with a DJ because it’s a really big market right now,’ said Jonathan Groffman, co-director of University Union’s Bandersnatch concert series. ‘And this guy is everywhere.’
Diplo, a Philadelphia-based American DJ and part of the two-man group Major Lazer, was picked because of the increasing popularity in DJs and dance music, Groffman said. Diplo has worked and collaborated closely with artists such as M.I.A., Sleigh Bells, Britney Spears and Linkin Park, according to a UU press release.
Tickets are available for purchase on Monday at the Schine Box Office. They will be $5 for students, faculty and staff with a valid SU ID. The concert will be held in Goldstein Auditorium at 8 p.m.
Normally Bandersnatch concerts take place in Schine Underground, but University Union expects a large turnout because Diplo is a popular artist, Groffman said.
‘Having the concert in Goldstein allows for three times the amount of people,’ he said. ‘The floor space is huge and will let people do what they love: dance.’
A pair of to-be-announced special guests will open for Diplo, Groffman said, and they complement his style very well.
‘We’re still finalizing them, but they’ll be the perfect lead into Diplo,’ Groffman said. ‘They’re two dance party artists that will get everyone going.’
The concert, part of a weeklong anniversary celebration for Hillel, is made possible partially through funding provided by Chancellor Nancy Cantor.
This is the first UU and Hillel collaboration,Groffman said. Primarily intended as a Hillel event, the concert is also a part of UU’s Bandersnatch concert series.
Hillel approached UU because of its expertise in booking and planning concerts, he said. After selling out last year’s Block Party, Juice Jam and this year’s previous Bandersnatch series concerts, UU members were excited to plan this event, Groffman said.
‘We want to continue our streak and help get Hillel’s name out there,’ Groffman said. ‘They really wanted to get more into the mainstream campus events as opposed to just religious-based events.’
Fifty percent of the concert’s proceeds will benefit Hendricks Chapel and its new interfaith programming curriculum. Hillel’s president, Michael Weiss, views the concert as an important step in forging a stronger relationship with Hendricks and its dean, Tiffany Steinwart.
‘We were in Hendricks for our first 53 years on this campus,’ Weiss said. ‘It’s time we give a little back to them for all that they’ve done for us.’
With the stress of funding issues gone, Hillel and UU are pleased to put forward a headliner that appeals to a wide audience and hope to sell out the show.
‘We’re celebrating having a campus presence for so long,’ Weiss said. ‘And we want this to be an entire student celebration. We want to make people aware and give them a chance to celebrate.’
Published on February 20, 2011 at 12:00 pm
