On Sept. 3, John Carroll University welcomed the bands Double Camp and COIN to campus for the University’s annual welcome back concert. This was one of John Carroll’s first in-person events for students since the start of the pandemic. With over 1200 students in attendance, the event was deemed a success by members of the community.

The welcome back concert is a staple in the John Carroll student experience along with the other events of Streak and Welcome Week which included trivia, craft nights, and food pop ups. 

COIN was one of many options along with Alec Benjamin that JCU students could vote for to play their way into the new school year in a poll sent out by the Student Union Programming Board in April. 

 “SUPB works with a middle agent who helped us develop a list of artists within our budget,” Emma Kosicek ‘23, President of SUPB, told The Carroll News. “After polling students, there was an overwhelming interest in COIN as they won the poll sent out to students overwhelmingly. From there, our middle agent helped us draw up a contract, negotiate a price, and connect with COIN.”

According to Kosicek, the process to prepare John Carroll for the concert was very tedious. Multiple individuals were involved including Danielle Baffa ‘23, major events coordinator for SUPB, and Katie Jansen, SUPB’s advisor. There was also a full staff working on lighting, staging, and safety for both the band and the audience. 

“Our board and the Office of Student Engagement along with our security service all ensured that day of/night of operations all went on seamlessly!” Kosicek stated. “An event of this size really showcases what John Carroll is all about; coming together for a memorable experience.”

After the band for the concert was announced, so were stipulations for the concert. In order for students to enter the area close to the stage, they had to present a recent negative COVID-19 test or their vaccination records. However, besides the polarizing policies, turnout was still overwhelming. 

“Pandemic or not, the Welcome Back Concert is to start the semester off on a high-note,” Kosicek said. “This was COIN’s first concert back since March of 2020 so it was a way for everyone, the band and our John Carroll community, to obtain a little bit of normalcy (if that’s even a thing anymore), fun, and relaxation. We had plenty of direct positive feedback and I think the response is reflected in the high turnout that we saw on the night of the concert.”

On Friday, Sep. 3, COIN performed the annual welcome back concert on John Carroll’s campus. COIN’s most popular song, “Talk Too Much” has over 181 million streams on Spotify. This was the first in-person concert performed since 2019. According to Katie Jansen, Assistant Director of Student Engagement, over 1200 students attended this year’s concert.