Expect the Unexpected

RECENTLY WHILE planning an outdoor concert for Loyola Marymount University’s student body I realized just how many hoops we have to jump through in L.A. to make people happy.  The first hoop was finding an artist after our first opener cancelled “due to family obligations that they had thought they could get out of” the Wednesday afternoon before the Sunday show.  This disappointment reflected just how meaningless RSVPs have become nowadays.  Even better, once people learned that the artist had cancelled on us there were countless phone calls and text messages from students making their case for artists.  It was awesome to see this reaction, and it definitely helped us replace the artist.  However, there were instances where some were so passionate about artists that they “knew,” that once we informed them that we were not choosing their artist, they chose to take out personal frustration on us and blame us for hurting relationships. 

The next day, Thursday, we were informed that it was now going to rain.  Collegefest had never been held indoors and the idea of going inside would inevitably hurt us.  However, we chose to move it indoors since we only had hours to choose before the move would become impossible.  Again, the solution turned sour when we found that our new location was not as suitable for our stage had been told.  After hours in the gym putting in time rigging the stage with the crew the night before the show, it was finally all set. 

While artists still kept me waiting in the rain for hours for their arrival, the show went on.  Students flooded the gym, and the artists put on great shows.  I would never recommend doing it again, but jumping through those hoops was an L.A. experience that we all must experience every now and again.