STAR announced Wednesday that Gavin DeGraw will headline the spring concert Saturday, May 14.

DeGraw will perform from 9 p.m. to midnight in the Anderson Athletic and Recreation Complex.

“People seem excited [about the choice],” STAR programming intern Mo Berkowitz said. “We can’t please everyone, so I think the majority of students are excited.”

Sophomore Megan Ballard said she is pleased with the choice and will attend the concert.

“I am obsessed with Gavin DeGraw,” she said. “That’s super exciting.”

Sophomore Steven Thyken said he is also excited. He said he enjoys listening to DeGraw because “his voice is just so raw.”

Other students aren’t as familiar with DeGraw’s music, but for sophomore Zach Bordeau, it isn’t about the artist.

“I don’t know much of his music,” Bordeau said. “I’m pretty much down for any free performance.”

Some students won’t be attending the concert for other reasons.

For junior Mike Musielewicz, it’s because of name recognition.

“Honestly I don’t know who he is,” Musielewicz said.

Junior Catie Schafer said she probably will not go to the concert because it’s “the Saturday before finals week.”

Berkowitz said they chose the concert date because it “was the only time we could get into the AARC.” She said she does not think the later date will affect attendance.

St. Thomas students need to show only a valid student ID to attend the concert. Two hundred guest wristbands will be available at the door for visitors with current government ID who are accompanied by a St. Thomas student.

STAR declined to release the cost of bringing DeGraw to campus. Last year, STAR paid $50,000 to bring Jordin Sparks to campus and $60,000 to bring Phil Vassar and Chuck Wicks to campus.

As for STAR’s artist selection, junior Sean Higgins said he would like to know who the other options were.

“It’s hard to weigh if it was a good choice or not if I don’t know who else we could have gone with,” he said.

Berkowitz said when choosing an artist, STAR tries to “figure out which artists are appropriate to St. Thomas, which artists are taking college dates, [and] which artists are available for our date.” STAR then narrows the choices down from there.

She said STAR conducted a poll last year but did not do one this year.

“We look at who is accepting college shows and who can preform on our specific date,” she said.

Berkowitz added that they tried to stay away from country this year because STAR had a country artist last year and the Twin Cities has two big country artists coming to town the night before the concert and the night of the concert.

Berkowitz said DeGraw was “on our original list and then he met all the criteria.”

She added, “We think students recognize his name – that’s kind of a big one, too.”

Lizzy Schmitt can be reached at schm9587@stthomas.edu.