In past years, Big Show has occurred every October, marking with song and dance the middle of fall semester. However, this year the party will arrive on Sept. 28, about three weeks earlier than normal. Headlining will be A-Track, a seasoned electronic DJ who has worked closely with artists like Kanye West and Kid Cudi.
Big Show, for those who may not be familiar, is, well, a big show. Put on annually by the Student Entertainment Association (SEC), the show has had unbelievable luck with picking up-and-coming artists. In 2014, Chance the Rapper performed at the Williamson Gymnasium — the location for all Big Shows. Earl Sweatshirt graced the stage in 2016, and a year later, NoName added herself to the record.
However, this seemingly endless stream of successful picks naturally added pressure to the new president, Jess Celella ‘21, when it came to picking acts last May.
“It’s intense,” Celella says rather bluntly. “I spent this whole summer putting offers out to [people]. They have a whole week to decide whether or not they’re going to take it, and it’s always the last day when they say they aren’t going to.”
When choosing a performer, SEC focuses on “somebody that will appeal to a big audience.” Because of this, Big Show is usually electronic or rap, as it hits all portions of the school. They want artists that students will pay money to see.
Thus A-Track, though an exciting pick, makes Celella a bit nervous. “I hope they respond well. I’ve obviously told my friends, and I was nervous. I said, ‘We got A-Track, is that okay?’ And they were hype. They were excited about it.”
She does, however, believe some students may be upset as there haven’t been as many DJs in Big Show’s recent past. However, A-Track is equipped with mainstream tracks, celebrity features, and an impressive history — including writing the soundtrack for Kanye West’s Stronger.
“There’s the biggest cover of ‘Heads Will Roll’ by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, which is his number one song,” explains Celella. “His own stuff is also cool; he has a vintage flair, so he does old songs and remixes and makes them fun, electronic, and dance-y.”
Opening for A-Track will be Venus X, an up-and-coming DJ in New York City. Celella felt it was important to invite a female DJ into the space as “there’s such a lack in females in general in music, but especially in the DJ and electronic world.” Venus X’s vibe is similar to A-Track's, but more of a basement-electronic vibe where one song flows seamlessly into another in an endless loop. Skidmore News reached out to Venus X for comment, but she was unable to respond in time for this article’s publication.
Tickets for Big Show go on sale Monday, Sept. 17 in Case Center. SEC plans to rearrange the stage set-up so that the gym feels a lot smaller, hopefully annexing the divide between the crowd by the stage and the space in the back. They will also be utilizing a laser light show.
Now that the artists for Big Show are announced, the SEC team can relax a little bit (at least, before they must set up and tear down the stage day-of). As for what to expect once September 28 rolls around, Celella feels that “no matter what, people will know they can come to Big Show to have fun and dance.”