Recently, University Program Board announced its highly anticipated fall concert headliner, Neon Trees. They beat out other popular acts, such as M.I.A and Juicy J, as well as underground artists, such as A$AP Rocky.

To select the band, UPB went through a process involving a campuswide vote, figuring out schedules to secure the band and pricing. Brianna Thompson, the co-chair of UPB Concerts Committee stated, “We try to grab the opinions of the student body in order to bring the best performer to campus, since we’re using the campus’ money.”

The voting process occurred last spring in a survey sent out asking students to choose their favorite artist from a pre-selected short list. After the vote, UPB got in contact with the artists and worked out logistical details, such as transportation and scheduling. While the planning happens well in advance, the actual physical work takes place the day of the concert. UPB members then work together on set-up and tear down to prepare the concert venue.

“It’s a large amount of work for the board, but we love putting on such a big event that the campus enjoys,” said Erika Brentar, president of the UPB.

Originally from Provo, Utah, Neon Trees is composed of four members: lead singer Tyler Glenn, guitarist Christopher Allen, bass guitarist Branden Campbell and drummer Elaine Bradley. They rose to prominence with their hit track “Animals” from their 2010 album “Habits.” In 2012, they followed up the success of “Animals” with “Everybody Talks” from their “Picture Show” album, and their latest single “Sleeping with a Friend” was released from their 2014 album, “Pop Psychology.” In addition to those three studio albums, Neon Trees has toured with popular bands, such as The Killers and Maroon 5. Currently, they are on tour promoting their new album.

The Neon Trees concert takes place on Nov. 1, and in the meantime, UPB is hard at work to get the campus as excited as possible. Neon Trees was the current board’s first choice of the academic year, and they look forward to sharing the experience with the CWRU community.