Family, community plans concert for Lauren Spierer

Brice Fox and Daniel Weber may have thought they left IU behind after their May graduation ceremonies. But June 3 changed those plans.

When Lauren Spierer disappeared and her parents flew in from New York, IU Hillel reached out to Robert and Charlene Spierer to provide whatever resources and support they needed. Weber works for Hillel and was part of the effort.

“I was here to see it all unfold,” Weber said. “It kind of allowed me to meet them and get to know them more personally.”

He said he told the Spierers he wanted to help in any way possible. So when the Spierers began to plan a concert for Lauren, Weber volunteered himself and Fox to perform and suggested B-97 DJ Matt Thiel to co-host the event.

At 7 p.m. today in Dunn Meadow, Clayton Anderson, Dot Dot Dot, and Brice Fox and Daniel Weber will perform at the Shine 4 Lauren Awareness Concert.

The concert, sponsored by Thiel and IU basketball Coach Tom Crean, will begin after a walk for Lauren at 6:20 p.m.

The Spierers have organized different types of events to raise awareness for Lauren, such as motorcycle rides, Laps for Lauren and a search headquarters next to
Smallwood Plaza.

But a concert will “raise a note with students,” Weber said.

“They’ve done a good job with the community, but I don’t think the students are as aware of it as they should be,” he said.

Some of IU’s most prominent student groups, including the IU Student Association, the Union Board, IU Dance Marathon and the Interfraternity Council, have pitched in to help organize the event.

“We obviously have a large reach, and I think it was great for them to come to us and Union Board to get to the student body,” IUSA Chief of Communications Nikki Suseck said. “We want the students to know we’re trying to bring Lauren home.”

Today’s concert takes top priority for the performers involved. Fox is flying from Los Angeles today and leaving Friday to continue working. Country artist Clayton Anderson rearranged his schedule to perform tonight.

Anderson, originally from Bedford, Ind., said he heard about Lauren’s disappearance while he was is Nashville, Tenn., working on a recording project.

“I was watching the news, and I saw her mom walking through the woods and calling her name,” Anderson said.

The news struck an emotional chord with him because he has a sister a few years older than Lauren, he said.

“I tried to put myself in her family’s shoes and think of how I would feel if my sister went missing,” he said.

Anderson called Lauren’s disappearance “heartbreaking” and said he’s eagerly anticipating his performance tonight.

“I don’t get really nervous anymore,” Anderson said. “But I’m nervous about this one.”

However, he said he plans to keep the crowd and his performance fun.

“My music’s pretty upbeat,” he said. “I’m going out there and hoping to bring some joy.”

For Weber, tonight is about getting students to rally for Lauren. He and Fox plan to bust out their usual upbeat show on stage.

“We’re going to have fun,” Weber said. “This concert is by no means a vigil.”