After some last-minute scrambling over the holiday weekend, the Syracuse University Student Association and University Union announced the main event for the Juice Jam, and fans of the dirty South can expect to be pleased.

Kentucky-bred hip-hop group Nappy Roots will be the featured performers at the Sept. 7 concert at the Schine Student Center, said Courtney Bell, a senior speech communications major and president of University Union. The concert will also feature a party in front of Schine before the show and opening performances by student bands.

Nappy Roots was not UU’s first choice to headline the concert; University Union Concerts initially placed a bid for a different hip-hop group. That attempt fell through, and the SA and UU Concerts had to search for a replacement over the weekend. SA President Andrew Thomson said he could not disclose the identity of the artist originally being considered.

Bell said that UU Concerts books acts by negotiating contract terms over a period of weeks or months. When performers pull out, it is usually because parties cannot agree on contractual demands.

‘Usually, high-end performers will ask for things like catering items or technical equipment that we cannot provide,’ Bell said.

The SA first announced plans for the concert at its Aug. 25 meeting but would not reveal to the public the name of the performer then under-consideration. The names are kept confidential until negotiations are completed in case of situations where the deal falls through, Bell said.

‘We get bad publicity if we have to cancel the show,’ Bell said.

UU Concerts is also in charge of lining up the opening bands. Bell said that the group’s main objective will be to find student bands, rather than looking for hip-hop groups that will fit with Nappy Roots.

This is not the first time Juice Jam has run into trouble. When Andrew Lederman, SA parliamentarian and sophomore international relations major, began organizing the concert over the summer, the plan was to hold it Labor Day weekend on the Quad, he said. Because that plan ran into conflicts, the show was moved to Schine.

The Juice Jam is co-sponsored by SA, UU Concerts and Perc Place. UU Concerts will pick up the talent fees, which could total between $20,000 and $25,000. The SA will be responsible for $2,000 to cover security and other expenses.

Published on September 1, 2003 at 12:00 pm