Note: Complications with press credentials referenced in this article came due to miscommunication between Argus Event Management, Program Council and CU Independent journalists. Details of these complications are not intended to negatively reference any of these organization, but rather to thoroughly convey the night’s events.
6:15 p.m.
Storm clouds and fans accumulated in anticipation of Program Council’s second concert event of the year, featuring Kygo and Chance the Rapper. As showtime neared, more than 3,500 ticket holders joined the original 150 dedicated fans that had arrived early. The line followed the contour of CU’s Folsom Field entrances, and eventually wrapped 500 feet from Gate 1 to Gate 6. While waiting, I took the time to meet those who came for a front row seat.
Delaney, a 14-year-old middle-schooler from Loveland, Colo., had arrived on CU’s campus at 2 p.m. to start waiting for Chance the Rapper. He even assisted in setting up the barricades that would separate him from his idol for the next five hours. Although it was “colder than cold,” Delaney told me, “it’s all going to be worth it.”
After making it inside, the first roadblock of the night was manifested in an Argus Event Staff member’s unfamiliarity with my press pass.
“The pink wristbands are for post-show only. You can’t go in.”
Scrambling, I found Brian Bakke, Program Council’s Street Team Coordinator. He became my personal escort up to the fourth floor of Balch Fieldhouse, and I avoided eye contact with my misinformed security guard.
8:00 p.m.
Instrumental sounds laced with bass trickled through the walls of Balch, although the entire line had not yet made it into the Fieldhouse.
Program Council handles all event promotion and operation for campus concerts like this, from building the stage to guarding the green room. The only assistance these students receive are from private contractors — who supply equipment and staging materials — and organizations like Verge Campus, which help with promotion and other equipment needs.
Balch’s layout was straightforward. Aside from a welcome table and a few random vendor tables on the east side, the stage sat at the north end, furthest from the entrance. It was small, with just enough room for a DJ table and a band. The screen above played what looked like hand-drawn graphics, old television clips and lyrics, giving light to the many faces of the crowd.
I walked down to stage level during Young & Sick’s final song. Fans chanted “Kygo, Kygo” whenever the lights went down. The Norwegian D.J. eventually took the stage, and after a quick and forgettable audio mishap, entertained the crowd for more than 45 minutes.
Though not the headliner, Kygo could have carried the night. His deep beats and angelic, bell-like melodies flowed with current top-100 hits. At this point, the dancing periphery of the crowd seemed to be having more fun than the sardine-packed front rows.
9:30 p.m.
Chance the Rapper was cued up backstage, and the second roadblock of the night occurred.
One of our CUIndependent.com photographers hadn’t made it behind the barricades, due to the same pink-wristband issue I experienced beforehand. All attempts to reason with the staffer to stage left backfired.
“Miss, there’s an easy way, and there’s a hard way. I would leave if I were you,” Argus Guard Number Two yelled over the ambient crowd noise.
If I had more gumption, I would have put up more of a fight, although this situation did not call for disobedience. I gathered my belongings and left with our cheated photographer, both of us disappointed. But: “Why not just stay and watch?” I said.
Chance worked through his 2013 mix tape, Acid Rap, starting with low-tempo rhymes and moving toward hits like “Juice” and “Cocoa Butter Kisses.” Most of the males around me sang every word, and half of the females were able to experience a shoulder-top view at one point or another. The crowd wasn’t hostile or overly intoxicated. In fact, everyone seemed to be losing themselves in the rhymes and the beats. Feelings of misplacement instantly vanished. Even our photographer, who had never listened to Chance, offered a look of approval between dance moves after the second song.
Twelve more songs, a chant, a dance break and an encore later, the house lights came on. But the energy lingered. Some fans received meet-and-greet bracelets throughout the show. Glancing at my pink press wristband, I decided not to test my luck a third time.
What started as cloud cover turned into a wet exit for concert-goers, but the storm provided an extra bit of magic to the sold-out event. As freshmen meandered back toward their dorms and upperclassmen bolted for the Hill, I could hear, through lyrics and laughs, just how many “Pusher Men” felt they had the “Juice”.
Program Council has announced another headliner for the year. Pepper, a reggae-rock group from Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, will grace the Balch Fieldhouse stage Oct. 22. Tickets will start at $20 for students and $30 for general admission.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Jordyn Siemens at jordyn.siemens@gmail.com.
