Spring Weekend is the largest and most widely attended event occurring on campus before Commencement week. Students eagerly anticipate the bands, agonize over getting tickets and even schedule their work or study abroad plans around the event. Spring Weekend is a time when people gather in large numbers, share new experiences, try new things — wink, wink — and enjoy some of the nicer things college affords us. The concerts are what facilitate all of this. While it is still possible to have fun on Spring Weekend whether you like the music or not, one thing is quite clear: The bands should not suck.
What do I mean by suck? Obviously, everyone has different tastes in music, so it is not possible to please all. Regardless, something about last year did not cut it. Not to beat an old horse to death, but I want to explore some of the ways last year's concerts were lacking in order to shed light on what should be done for the coming weekend.
While I have not done a scientific survey of the student body, most people you talk to will gladly say that Snoop Dogg and MGMT in 2010 were amazing. They will also tell you that Diddy and TV on the Radio in 2011 did not compare. In fact I would go one step further and say that last year the concerts were about as fun as having your toenail hair removed by Rosie O'Donnell — the pleasant surprise of getting to see an insignificant celebrity up close is overshadowed by the sheer pain of having your hair pulled out. So what happened?
One major reason last year was so lackluster was that the Brown Concert Agency tried to do the same thing as 2010 and failed miserably. They were successful two years ago by having one "old-school rapper," a couple of "hipster bands" and a few other decently big name openers, including Wale and Major Lazer. The problem with trying to copy this lineup is that it is not indicative of a successful formula. The 2010 concerts worked because Snoop Dogg and MGMT are excellent performers, not because one appeals to pop music fans and the other to hipsters. This faulty logic brought the same types of groups to Spring Weekend last year — Diddy for Snoop and TV on the Radio for MGMT. The lineups have shocking similarities. The BCA should be wary of allowing this to repeat itself yet again, lest we wind up with Flavor Flav and Kings of Leon.
Another reason last year was less successful is that it unfortunately had to be indoors. This was out of the BCA's control. It cannot control the weather. However, whoever did the sound check for Meehan Auditorium should have his hearing checked. Das Racist sounded like someone yelling over a garbage disposal. There must be a way for that space to sound remotely like a concert hall. Furthermore, the concert was poorly set up for people who had to stand in the bleachers. They paid the same price as those on the ground but got much less value. The BCA should have spent an extra effort making the indoor concert worth the money paid to see it.
But acoustics aside, here are my suggestions for this year. First, the BCA shouldn't try to please absolutely everyone. There is no need to get a TV on the Radio for every Diddy. The groups should be knowable, but not necessarily well known. Diddy came late, played a short set and used his celebrity as an excuse for not performing to the best of his ability. We should seek bands that are on the rise and have something to prove.
Second, it is unfortunate that Coachella happens to be the same weekend. This is no excuse for not being able to put together a decent lineup. A quick glance through the bands scheduled to play at that festival will prove that the list is not exhaustive by any means.
Third, the BCA may want to actually read the results of the polls in which students voted on their preferences for Spring Weekend. I would wager a good deal of money — Romney-style — in saying that few to none put Diddy as their choice for a performer. The BCA is lucky — it will sell out the concerts with practically any performances, because people love Spring Weekend. It should not abuse this privilege.
Though I'm being critical of the BCA, we should keep in mind that the concerts are not the only way to enjoy yourself over the weekend. The artists are bought with a limited budget, after all. However, this is no excuse for the BCA to be unoriginal in selecting bands. Since we will likely all die in the coming apocalypse, we should strive to make 2012's Spring Weekend the best ever. Maybe the BCA should get first access to funds, then the rest of the student groups, then the Undergraduate Council of Students. That seems fair to me — let's vote on it.
Lucas Husted '13 can't wait to get an angry email from the BCA.
