Mason Day Headliner Announced: Students Express Disappointment About Choice of Cobra Starship

The Mason Day headlining event, Cobra Starship, was announced in late March. Student response online has been negative. (Fueled By Ramen Press)

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UPDATED 1:00 p.m. 

Following Program Board’s announcement March 27 that the neon-colored skinny jeans wearing fivesome Cobra Starship would be headlining this year’s Mason Day, close to 20 disillusioned members of the “Bring ____ to Mason Day 2010” Facebook group posted comments on the group’s wall, calling into question the process used to pick the synth-pop group.

Other possible Mason Day acts included on a student survey were Trey Songz, Passion Pit, Wale, Phoenix, Billy Currington, Kid Cudi with Ratatat, Girl Talk and Flogging Molly.

“Personally I’d like to see the results of the survey,” said Genevieve McKenna, a communication major, on the wall of the group, which recently changed its name to “Mason Day 2010 Feat. Cobra Starship.”

“I mean if it was a majority that’s great… but [there’s no] proof that they even looked [at] our votes or, you know, went with what they could afford. A straight answer is all I ask,” said McKenna.

Mason Day will be held outdoors on April 22 in Lot L. The free event, which is scheduled for 2-10 p.m., will feature rides, concerts by local bands and Mason organizations hosting games and passing out free food, culminating in an 8 p.m. concert by Cobra Starship.

The band, whose main claim to fame is their most recent radio hit “Good Girls Go Bad,” which features Gossip Girl actress-turned singer Leighton Meester, is signed to the same label as Fall Out Boy and 2008 Mason Day performers Gym Class Heroes.

Other students on the Mason Day Facebook group were simply disappointed with the pick.

“Mason Day has gotten consistently worse since I’ve been here,” said accounting major Christopher Grant on the Facebook page. “T-Pain was a joke. Who the hell is Cobra Starship? I won’t be in attendance, have fun partying with these cornballs.”

“I know how hard PB works and I appreciate everything they do for Mason,” said Sabrina Ahmed, a government and international politics major on the Facebook group wall. “I was just looking forward to a better artist.”

According to Michelle Davis, assistant director of programming for Student Activities, Cobra Starship was the highest rated group on the survey that was available and fell within Program’s Board budget. Cobra Starship, the third most-picked band on the survey fell just below Drake and Trey Songz.

In order to find a Mason Day artist, Davis says planners brainstorm popular acts that might be going on tour in the spring to put on the survey, though touring, recording or video-shooting schedules can change and pricing can go up drastically between when the band is put on the survey and when its time to book an act.

“That’s the industry we’re dealing with,” said Davis. “If a band has a new hot song coming out, the price can go up as much as $20,000. It all comes down to if they’re available and how much they cost.”

“Disappointed, but why complain,” said communication major Joshua Jordan on the Facebook page. “You gotta remember Trey Songz is on tour wit JiggaMan, Jeezy, AND Wale…so that takes two people out [of] the survey already.

Cudi’s workin on his album, plus his budget was probably a little more then Mason was willing to pay..same goes for Drake.”

But it’s not all about the headlining act.

For the first time ever, Mason Day will feature carnival rides for students.

“There was a lot of demand on the original survey for more carnival themes and more rides,” said Mallory Wuhrer, a sophomore on Program Board’s special events committee. “We had one ride last year and we really wanted to do more of that and heighten it to a new level. It’s going to be bigger and better than ever before.”

“Mason day really isn’t all about the main act,” said concerts chair Addison Brown. “It’s about the day as a whole. It’s supposed to be a fun experience for the students to have. We try to go for what they like; we try our hardest.”

Check out pb.gmu.edu/masonday for more information.