Every year, the Bruin Bash concert is meant to welcome new and returning undergraduate students to campus.
This year’s unimpressive lineup reinforced the fact that this concert has lost its draw in recent years because of its problematic funding model.
The performers, which included Los Rakas, Ra Ra Riot and Chiddy Bang, were either little-known or had not released new music in quite some time.
Though acts in previous years, such as The Cataracs and Childish Gambino, lit up the stage, these concerts also included less-than-stellar performances by Kendrick Lamar, the Starting Six and the Ying Yang Twins. The electro-pop duo LMFAO that performed in 2009 was arguably the last big headliner.
Part of the problem stems from how Bruin Bash is currently funded. Organizers use surplus money left over from the previous school year as a funding source for the event, in addition to funds from corporate sponsorships and the Chancellor’s Office.
As a result, the Undergraduate Students Association Council’s Campus Events Commission and Cultural Affairs Commission, which organize Bruin Bash, must wait until late summer to find out the total amount of funds they can use to pay for the event.
One way to solve the problem would be to create a fund specifically dedicated to Bruin Bash by levying a minimal additional student fee, through an amendment students would vote on in the spring.
Right now, student fees are channeled indirectly to Bruin Bash ““ surely students would much rather have their money go directly to a fund for Bruin Bash if it meant securing higher-profile artists.
Having a fund to pull from would give event organizers a secure amount of cash months in advance that they could spend on booking artists and hosting the event, without having to worry about a tight turnaround time.
Another tactic for building a better lineup is to reduce the number of performers from three to two, as has been done occasionally in the past. In this way, we could invest more money in those two acts and get bigger names rather than dividing the money among three acts.
To be fair, Bruin Bash used to be held in Pauley Pavilion, a cheaper location than Drake Stadium. This factor does absorb some funds that could otherwise be used to entice better musical artists to perform.
Though we appreciate the efforts of Bruin Bash organizers, the event would better serve the UCLA community if student government commissions found ways to book more relevant performers.