Indie surf rock band Best Coast will headline A&O’s Spring Benefit Show on Sunday, May 8. The show starts at 6:30 p.m. at the southern point of the Lakefill. Admission is free with a suggested donation, which will go towards Dance Marathon’s 2012 beneficiary. A&O will announce the opener for Best Coast soon.
As opposed to their other big shows during the year, like Blowout and Ball, A&O’s Spring Benefit Show, formerly known as the One Voice Benefit Concert, has traditionally had a more indie vibe to it, according to Allison Zuzelo, A&O’s Director of Concerts. Past performers include Dan Deacon, RJD2 and Stars.
“We feel that with this genre, we reach a certain group of students that aren’t necessarily represented in our bigger shows, or even some of our other co-sponsorships,” said Zuzelo, a Weinberg junior.
A&O wanted to bring Best Coast to campus because of their critical acclaim, Zuzelo said. The band’s full-length debut Crazy for You ranks at No. 39 of Pitchfork’s Top 50 Albums of 2010. While Best Coast may not be as well known as some of the headliners at A&O’s bigger events, Zuzelo said the band has a strong following of fans.
“Hopefully people who know them will get their friends excited and just bring people out,” Zuzelo said. “They’re not a group that you need to have listened to before to enjoy at the show.”
In addition to a name change, the show will be moving from the Norris East Lawn, as it recovers from winter’s ice rink, to the southern point of the Lakefill. Zuzelo said the new location will add to the carefree, relaxed atmosphere of the show.
“We’re really excited with this new venue, and we think it’s going to be really cool with, you know, the [Chicago] skyline and the lake around you,” Zuzelo said. “Just good music, good friends, good times.”