Campus flowers may be merely buds, but as Friday night's Roots concert draws near, preparations for Spring Weekend are in full bloom.
Despite the dreary weather, the Brown Concert Agency has decided to hold The Flaming Lips' Saturday concert on the Main Green and will be selling additional tickets today and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Lower Faunce House.
Both Friday and Saturday's concerts have already sold over 3,000 tickets.
"We want to sell tickets to students before they go to scalpers," said BCA Co-Chair Joe Posner '07, adding that he felt "very strongly that the concert be held outside."
For their outdoor show, the Flaming Lips will perform beneath a makeshift roof, shielding the band members and their equipment from potential drizzle. The Lips will use Faunce House as their backstage area, so the building will be closed to students Saturday.
According to Posner, the Lips have a "ridiculous amount of production," including a large L.E.D. screen and a variety of costumed dancers. A small number of BCA volunteers, selected by a raffle, will be among those shaking it with the band on stage.
"They'll get to dance their hard work away," Posner said of the chosen few students.
Originally slated to perform on Thursday, the Roots will now appear on Friday in Meehan Auditorium. Posner said scheduling conflicts with the group's April 17 Beijing concert played a role in the decision to reschedule. BCA's Web site says it will honor all tickets sold for the Thursday concert at the April 20 show.
As for security, BCA member David Horn '08 said the security plan - which includes both Department of Public Safety officers and private security guards - did not change due to the rescheduling.
"We're basically using the same plan as before (the date change)," Horn said. "We don't anticipate major problems on Friday since Brown students tend to exert moderation in public."
Horn said the private security guards will not be armed and are not permitted to touch students. They will likely report to DPS if a problem arises over the course of the weekend. Last year's Spring Weekend was the first time student volunteers were not included in the security force, which Horn said worked more effectively in terms of crowd control. In addition to maintaining order, the officers will protect the band members and help clear people off the Main Green at 1 p.m. on Saturday in anticipation for the Lips' 2 p.m. show, Horn said.
The Main Green will be gated off for the concert, with the sole entrance located near the John Carter Brown Library. Horn said students will not be readmitted once they leave Saturday's concert.
Members of Zeta Delta Xi are also gearing up for Spagfest, the co-ed fraternity's Spring Weekend alcohol and pasta extravaganza. The party will be held from 4 to 8 p.m on Friday underneath a tent on Wriston Quad. Due to the University's new drinking policies that requires Class F parties to charge students for servings of alcohol, drinks will no longer be covered by the ticket fee and can purchased at a bar inside the tent.
Pre-sale tickets for Spagfest sold out at noon on Wednesday, but more will be available at the door for $10 each. Spagfest planner Amy Robinson '08 said students who purchased their tickets at the mailroom should arrive between 4 and 5 p.m., or they will risk losing their spots.
Robinson also expressed hope for student civility at this year's event.
"It should be a raucous dinner party," Robinson said. "Not a cafeteria food fight." Due to the expense of the party and unruly behavior at Spagfest 2006, Robinson said this may be the carb-fest's final year if students are unable to control themselves.
"This is our last chance to have this party and have it be successful," she said, adding that administrators have threatened to shut it down if it gets out of hand. Robinson hopes that new measures such as the tent, an organized bar and professional security will help maintain order without sacrificing the fun of Spagfest.
Overall, organizers are excited for Spring Weekend, despite initial fears about the unseasonable cold weather.
"Spring Weekend is a fantastically long-running tradition," Posner said. "I'm so excited to see how it grows and changes over the years."
