Decemberists to perform at Spring Fling

Five-act lineup will be the longest in recent history

Monday, April 13, 2009

Indie alternative rock band The Decemberists and singer-songwriter Colin Munroe will join the performance lineup for Spring Fling, the News has learned.

The five-act show, which will also include N.E.R.D., Wale and Girl Talk, will be the longest in recent memory. The Yale College Council is expected to make a formal announcement of the Spring Fling acts later this evening, effectively putting an end to weeks of bargaining and negotiations that kept the lineup from being finalized until recently.

Colin Munroe, N*E*R*D, The Decemberists, Girl Talk and Wale will perform at Yale on April 28.

“The Decemberists are the primary addition,” Yale Student Activities Committee Chair Colin Leatherbury ’09 said in an interview, adding that the band was popular on student surveys. “It’s really our first step into indie-alternative music in quite a while.”

The Decemberists, an indie rock band known for lyrics with provocative narratives, signed with Capitol Records in 2005. The band released a new album, “The Hazards of Love,” in late March.

Munroe, a relative unknown in the music industry, will open the April 28 concert. Silliman YSAC Representative Mathilde Williams ’11 said Wale offered to bring the singer-songwriter as an opener. Wale, who tours with a live band himself, has crossed genre lines to collaborate with Munroe on songs like “Will I Stay.”

Munroe was added to the lineup much later than the other four acts, as Leatherbury said that late in the booking process, Wale’s agent offered to bring Munroe along for no charge in an effort to promote the up-and-coming artist.

Because of a slight decrease in funding from the Yale College Dean’s Office, Yale College Council President Rich Tao ’10 said this was a “tough year” to prepare for the show. Increased support from graduate student organizations and corporate sponsors helped keep the budget for Spring Fling similar to last year’s, Tao explained.

In an interview, Tao would not disclose how much each act was being paid for their appearances, though he said last year’s figure of $120,000 budgeted for booking acts remained unchanged, except that last year’s figures included fees paid to a middle agent and this year’s do not. Tao said he estimates YCC will spend $30,000 to $40,000 on production costs.

The News first reported the names of the first three acts in March, when the trade publication Pollstar posted a partial lineup of the Spring Fling concert to its Web site. YCC officials declined to comment at the time.

Colin Munroe will open the show, followed by Wale, the Decemberists, N.E.R.D. and finally Girl Talk. Leatherbury said Girl Talk will play later to take advantage of the D.J.’s light show.

Last year’s Spring Fling featured Sean Kingston, The Roots and Jimmy Eat World.

Decemberists to perform at Spring Fling Five-act lineup will be the longest in recent history

Decemberists to perform at Spring Fling

Five-act lineup will be the longest in recent history

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Decemberists to perform at Spring Fling

Five-act lineup will be the longest in recent history