Editorial : Juice Jam line-up well received, but similar to previous years
University Union announced their annual Juice Jam lineup, which features Lupe Fiasco, Passion Pit and Super Mash Bros., on Aug. 25. The acts are certainly bigger names than previous years, but the type of music proves to stay the same.
UU has succeeded in listening to the opinions of the student body, but with Super Mash Bros. similar to last year’s Girl Talk and Passion Pit to Jack’s Mannequin, this year’s lineup isn’t that much different than previous years. The addition of Lupe Fiasco will attract a much more diverse group of students, but adding in another hip-hop or rap artist would have really sweetened the mix.
The inflatable obstacle course and mechanical bull shows that UU is working toward making Juice Jam into something more than just a concert. But if they’re trying to mold Juice Jam into a festival rather than a concert, they need to consider the type of environment in which the event is taking place.
Passion Pit and Super Mash Bros are talented performers, and their beats are better geared toward a dark late-night house party. They’re not necessarily the types of artists you’d picture yourself rocking out to in a field on a Sunday afternoon.
By listening to students and including something more than just musical acts, UU is moving in a promising direction. They began to shake up the lineup a few years ago, but it’s time to shake it up again. The formula they’ve stuck to has worked, but they need to consider trying something different for Block Party or next year’s Juice Jam.
