Brookfest 2015 act announced: Panic! at the Disco will rock SBU

April 6, 2015

Panic! at the Disco will be performing at this year's Brookfest 2015. The band members of Panic! at the Disco founded the rock group in 2004. Recently the band's drummer Spencer Smith, announced his departure from the group saying "after a lot of thinking it became clear that this is what’s right for me and the band." PHOTO CREDIT: ASHLEY REHNBLOM — Panic! at the Disco will be performing at this year’s Brookfest 2015. The band members of Panic! at the Disco founded the rock group in 2004. Recently, the band’s drummer, Spencer Smith, announced his departure from the group, saying, “after a lot of thinking it became clear that this is what’s right for me and the band.” *PHOTO CREDIT: ASHLEY REHNBLOM*

The Undergraduate Student Government just announced rock band Panic! at the Disco will be one of two major performers at this year’s Brookfest.

In an article published last year by The Statesman, USG’s Vice President of Communications and Public Relations Danny Chung said bands are more expensive to bring to campus, but after several weeks of speaking with Panic! at the Disco’s management, USG booked the highly-requested band to perform this year after the two parties agreed on a price.

While Chung was unaware of the exact cost, he said the Student Government offered the rock group up to $70,000.

The band was suggested last semester as a possible act for Back to the Brook, and although Panic! was unable to perform then, USG’s early efforts to bring the band to Stony Brook made booking it for Brookfest 2015 easy.

“There was a general consensus among the [board members who choose the artists] that [Panic! at the Disco] would be an artist that students are interested in since they had very good feedback on the polls,” Chung said. “So we just pursued them since we already were in talks with their management. We got that figured out within [early to mid February].”

Panic! is just one of the performers for Brookfest 2015. USG will release additional concert information in the days to come.