State Radio concert to connect IU, shed light on addiction

Between Little 500 apparel and pricey concert tickets, the concept of free might be difficult for students to grasp. However, IU’s Business Careers in Entertainment Club has paired with Union Board to present the third annual Addicted to Music concert free of charge.

The show will be from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday at 13th Street and Fee Lane, just south of McNutt Quad, and will feature local bands Midnight Gravy Train and San Clemente alongside headliner State Radio.

BCEC Addicted to Music Co-Director Dan Dicker said it’s more than just a free concert — it has a larger purpose.

“We really hope to raise awareness about substance addiction in college culture,” Dicker said.

The event will support the Amethyst House and IU’s Alcohol and Drug Information Center. Organizations including the Indiana Prevention Resource Center, Indiana Addiction Issues Coalition, Counseling and Psychological Services and the Office for Women’s Affairs will also be in attendance to discuss the resources they have to offer
to students.

“We live in a culture of ‘What are you doing Saturday night?’ ‘Well I’m going to go drink with my friends,’” Dicker said. “Though college partying isn’t directly responsible for addictions, it certainly aggravates it.”

Dicker said a dangerous mind-set many students seem to have is that they’re not alcoholics unless they continue to drink heavily outside of college.

“I think addiction is something that is too often overlooked or looked at through the wrong lens,” Dicker said.

One goal of the event is to help students recognize addictions and educate them on how to approach loved ones that might be struggling with an addiction.

“Alcohol doesn’t care what kind of person you are,” Dicker said. “And it seems that people only recognize that when something bad happens to the people around them.”
Dicker shed light on some of campus’ recent incidents involving drug or alcohol use and said this is when IU students need programs like this most.  Union Board’s Concert Committee Director Lisa Wagner said she agreed with Dicker.

“With this being a free concert, we are able to focus on more than just ticket sales,” Wagner said. “This is a very pressing issue for students, especially during Little Five week, and I think music is a great way to start a discussion about these problems.”

By electing State Radio to headline, Wagner said she hopes to draw a crowd that engages in the cause.

“Last year it was really cool because people were sharing their personal experiences,” Wagner said. “I think it’d be cool if the same thing were to happen again this year.”

Dicker said State Radio runs parallel to that mission. When the band performed for the first Addicted to Music, Dicker said they were great with interacting with the fans and even talked about the main cause on stage when they weren’t even asked to.

This year lead singer Chad Stokes Urmston will be playing an acoustic set in the IU Arboretum and encourages musicians to bring their instruments for a jam session at 4 p.m. Saturday.

“State Radio is great about helping with philanthropic causes and loves to play benefits,” Dicker said. “They’re about positive change through art, and that’s the direction we want to take this.”

Along with the performance, a trailer of a documentary titled “Confronting Addiction: The Short Documentary” by BCEC’s Film & TV Committee will be shown during the concert. The film features IU students who have dealt with addiction. In addition to the documentary, celebrity biographies ranging from Steve-O to Eminem to Lady Gaga are posted on the Addicted to Music website, www.areyouaddicted.org.

“This is all being presented in a casual atmosphere and so students can feel like they can relate to a serious topic but also enjoy the music and come and go as they want,” Wagner said.

Junior Natalie Christine said she plans to attend the event because she has seen the amount of effort some of her friends have put into the planning of Addicted to Music. She also agreed with Wagner and said it’s a great atmosphere to talk about issues such as addiction.

“It definitely draws attention to the problem but in a positive way,” Christine said. “It’s not a lecture, but something you can enjoy. It’s a conventional way of raising money, and I think students will pay attention because it’s unique.”

Addicted to Music will delve even deeper into issues with a testimony by creator of the Jennifer Act, Sharon Blair.

“I want the event to be an avenue to reform,” Dicker said. “Sharon’s daughter, Jennifer, died after 15 years of battling addictions. Now, Sharon has dedicated her life to changing legislation to a system of mandatory treatment for people battling addictions.”

Blair’s campaign is called the Jennifer Act, and Dicker said he hopes her testimony will really open students’ eyes.

“This is an all around event, and I hope people take something positive away from it but also just enjoy the music,” Dicker said.