Syracuse University students were recently treated to another installment of University Union’s Bandersnatch series, a collection of smaller concerts that the organization plans on campus. This particular event was headlined by internet celebrity-turned-rapper Zack Fox and celebrated rapper and producer Pi’erre Bourne, continuing a trend of Bandersnatch bringing in great talent for an event that students need to be more appreciative of.

The credentials for these two artists speak for themselves. Pi’erre Bourne has made beats for Playboi Carti, Kanye West, 21 Savage and more. He did this all while releasing “The Life Of Pi’erre 4” and “The Life Of Pi’erre 5” — two of his own solo projects where he raps on top of producing. On the other hand, Zack Fox has used his social media prowess to amass a cult following. Starting as a comedic Twitter user, Fox has evolved into a visionary in multiple fields, recently putting out his debut project “shut the f*ck up talking to me.”

Given this success, it is time for the student body to put the event on the same tier as other events such as Juice Jam, Block Party and Mayfest.

In addition to Bourne and Fox’s acclaimed reputations, the first event of the year featured up-and-coming indie-pop artist Maude Latour and singer-songwriter Tai Verdes, who has about 9.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify (and nearly 200 million streams on his hit song “A-O-K”). And, before it was unfortunately canceled due to unpredictable weather, grammy-nominated rapper Freddie Gibbs was set to headline another Bandersnatch concert alongside rising-star Pink Siifu.

Even with the cancellation of that particular concert, the artists that UU has recruited to perform are renowned for their work, but it seems as if Bandersnatch is seen as lesser than the more prominent concert events UU arranges. Juice Jam made everyone drop what they were doing and flock to South Campus, despite featuring only a few more artists. And though the artists featured at the larger events are predictably larger, such as headliner Jack Harlow, Bandersnatch has some advantages that the audience can’t get at any other UU concert.

Most notably, Bandersnatch occurs in Goldstein Auditorium, which is far more accessible than bussing to South Campus for students living on Main Campus. Additionally, the pricing is about $5 for Bandersnatch, compared to the $25 tickets for last year’s Juice Jam. The smaller venue and fewer sets also makes for a better concert experience, it generates a more intimate atmosphere and allows each artist more time to interact with the crowd. With less of a hassle to access a more private concert, SU students can capitalize on being much more immersed in the action.

Another aspect of the Bandersnatch series that makes it different from its larger counterparts is that it has included a more localized act opener, the most recent concert welcoming SU artist DJ Jill. This serves as a nice opportunity for student concertgoers to ease into the events while supporting their fellow Syracuse community members, which doesn’t occur at the larger events.

It feels as if Bandersnatch is treated like a lower-tier event compared to other UU events. But it’s not like the headliners are some sort of underground artists who only attract a niche fanbase. It’s time to give the planners of Bandersnatch concerts their flowers, and more SU students should take advantage of the chance to be exposed to these acclaimed artists. Though it may lack in scale compared to bigger shows, the series is an amazing opportunity most college students would love to have such easy entry to, which is exactly why Bandersnatch is such an underappreciated program.

Jonah Weintraub is a freshman broadcast, digital journalism major. His column appears biweekly. He can be reached at jsweintr@syr.edu.

Published on March 27, 2022 at 9:29 pm