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Mystery Skulls will perform in front of the Theopilus Tower at 8:15 p.m. on Saturday as part of Palousafest.
The University of Idaho’s Vandal Entertainment team is on a mission this year to save money while keeping the crowd on its feet.
Chair of Vandal Entertainment Lauren Pinney said they will accomplish both on Saturday by booking electronic-pop artist Mystery Skulls as the Palousafest headliner.
Pinney said the California-based act is an affordable option that will save Vandal Entertainment about $15,000. She said the saved money will go toward booking a high-profile artist for Finals Fest in May of 2015.
“$15,000 can be a yes or no from a major artist,” she said. “Where ever I can conserve money, that’s where it’s going.”
Pinney was able to hire Mystery Skulls for $3,500 — which is significantly less than past Palousafest performers such as Eric Hutchinson (2013) and We The Kings (2012).
She said many students are not concerned with having a big name play at Palousafest, but instead want a band they can dance to while having fun with their friends.
Pinney said while choosing an artist for Palousafest is important, more pressure from the student body is placed on booking the Finals Fest artist.
She said a visible challenge in last year’s Final Fest was getting students to attend a concert on a weekday night during dead week, as opposed to a Friday or Saturday night.
Pinney said although there were low-ticket sales for last year’s Finals Fest, it will not affect this year’s entertainment budget.
Mystery Skulls is scheduled to perform from 8:15 to 10 p.m. Saturday on the lawn outside of Theophilus Tower. The act is comprised of one man, Luis Dubuc, who signed with Warner Bros. records last year, and is most widely known for his singles, “Ghost” and “Paralyzed.”
Cuff Lynx, a Western Washington electronic band, will open for the headliner at approximately 7:30 p.m.
Pinney said she selected Mystery Skulls because she hopes Dubuc’s combination of electric-pop, funk and indie tones will get students to dance.
“We knew we wanted to take a electronica route,” she said. “We noticed the people on campus love to dance.”
She said although Mystery Skulls plays electronic-pop music, students attending the event should not expect an intensive rave atmosphere.
Although most may not recognize the performer, Pinney said students should expect a high-energy performance that will not disappoint.
The live performances are only one aspect of Palousafest — an afternoon full of activities located outside of the residence halls along Sixth Street.
There will also be an informational fair from 5:30 to 7 p.m. that will feature 180 community organizations, including UI departments, faith communities and student organizations.
Sadie Hanigan, an organizer for the event, said the fair is a great way for students to see all of the ways they can get involved both at UI and in the greater Moscow community.
“It’s excellent for brand new students — to just say ‘welcome to our community,'” she said.
Hanigan said organizers are looking into expanding the number of organizations able to table the fair in the next few years due to a high demand from community organizations to partake in the event. She said about 5,000 people are expected to attend this year’s Palousafest throughout the day.
In addition to the informational fair, there will also be a mechanical bull, inflatables and face painting, along with free pizza provided by Campus Dining.
Hanigan will be an advertising representative for Student Media in the fall.
Ryan Tarinelli can be reached at arg-news@uidaho.edu