Campus Activities Board Brings Live Music Downtown

The Campus Activities Board (CAB) plans to bring local artists to downtown Vermillion. This goal started on Saturday night when CAB sponsored a concert for Sioux Falls native Soleil Bashale at Old Lumber Company last Saturday night. 

He sang some of his original songs such as “Restart,” “Snow White” and “Red Eyes.” Bashale said his music is inspired by a mix of blues, hip hop, gospel, country and rock. He averages over 20,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.

Kelsey Berger, CAB President, said she hopes to continue booking local artists to perform at local businesses.  

“We’re looking to make this a series, like a downtown music series, and so, if this goes well, we’ll continue throughout the semester bringing in artists, hopefully local,” Berger said. 

Berger also said Bashale has performed at CAB events in the past, including opening for rapper Vince Staples. 

“He was really entertaining those two times, so we thought it would be great to bring him back and we are always looking for an opportunity to have local artists come,” Berger said.

CAB has previously brought in other local groups, such as Would You Kindly?, who performed at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center and The Tenenbaums performed at The Varsity Pub. 

Saturday was the first time they hosted a concert at Old Lumber Company. Berger said CAB chose OLC because the local business had a large upstairs venue to host the concert. 

Cody Condon, OLC bartender, served drinks to customers during the concert. 

“It’s always nice when they have events like this … Live music is just always really fun for anybody that decides to come out,” Condon said. 

CAB hopes to continue finding new local locations for live music, Berger said. 

“I think it’s a good move to start having concerts off-campus and events off-campus to meet students more where they’re at,” Berger said. “It’s good to share the love between all the Vermillion businesses.”