What Happened at the Fall Concert?
On October 8, 2021, Elon hosted their Fall Concert. Lisa Heller and Bea Miller opened for Bryce Vine in hopes of entertaining a packed Schar Center.
This wasn’t quite the case.
Bryce Vine is a 33-year-old American rapper and singer who began his music career in 2011. However, it wasn’t until 2019 that he released his debut album, “Carnival.” Two songs on the album, “La La Land” and “Drew Barrymore,” hit the Billboard Hot 100 charts and launched him into stardom.
As broke college kids, the $10 tickets to a Bryce Vine concert on campus seemed to be a no-brainer. Then, when it was announced that people could start showing up as early as 5:30 (for an 8:00 p.m. start time) to get floor seats, many assumed that the Schar Center would be buzzing with excitement. However, there were only about 30 to 40 students in the floor area with a massive gap that could’ve been filled. Then, the three 100-level sections had slightly more students seated, but all of the 200-level seats were vacant.
While students were confused at the emptiness in the stands, the excitement to hear “La La Land” live trumped this. Lisa Heller began at 8:00 p.m., Bea Miller started around 9:00 p.m., and Bryce Vine didn’t begin until closer to 10 p.m. For anyone who was expecting Vine to begin earlier, this was a huge letdown. Herds of girls were seen fleeing Schar during Miller’s performance. A chunk of the audience left before the headliner even arrived.
“The opener went on for way too long,” says sophomore Ashley Joyce who left before Bryce Vine began. “I went to see Bryce Vine not to see Bea Miller perform for over an hour, and the energy from the crowd was just so low because not many people went. Honestly, there were better things I could have been doing with my time than wasting it there.”
Once Vine took the stage though, the momentum shifted.
“I only knew a couple of his songs going into the concert, but he was a great performer,” says sophomore Angela Madajewski. “He kept interacting with the audience which kept me engaged, and it was just a blast overall!”
Once Vine took the stage, he captivated his audience and ended with a bang by singing “La La Land.” Everyone who was still there was belting it out at the top of their lungs. The dull energy of the crowd was completely shifted by the end, and the Schar Center was overflowing with happiness and exhilaration.
So the question remains: How much does the energy of a crowd, big or small, influence an experience?
For some Elon students, that was everything. The environment didn’t appear to be fun or exciting upon arrival, so many thought leaving and going on with the rest of their night was the better option. However, for many of those who waited it out, Vine made their night.
Life is all about what someone makes of it. Nothing is ever the perfect circumstance, but events, such as concerts, can be made better with a positive outlook and friends all around.