Students ambivalent to unknown Kweller

If you've never heard of Ben Kweller, you're not alone.

Only five out of 62 Penn students surveyed by The Daily Pennsylvanian said they were familiar with this year's pick for the Social Planning and Events Committee's fall concert.

Set to perform on Oct. 5 at Irvine Auditorium, Kweller's upcoming concert has sparked little interest on campus, according to students.

"If I knew his music and it was good, then I'd go," College junior Katie Riggleman-Thomas said. "I just don't know any of his music, so it's not really exciting."

When shown Kweller's picture that appeared in yesterday's DP, most students could not identify the man.

College sophomore Adam Delelegn responded to the picture by asking, "Is that Carrot Top?"

Veteran students say they are displeased with SPEC's recent choices, pointing to the similarity in performers. Recent picks like OAR, Howie Day, Ben Folds and now Ben Kweller all fall under a similar musical genre.

"I think there has been a lack of musical diversity," College junior Samantha Zuckerman said. "They could bring in people that aren't so emo."

College senior Liz Rosenberg said she thinks a lot of freshmen will go, since they have not experienced one of SPEC's concerts.

Some unhappy students suggested artists whom they would like to see at Penn.

"Where's [DJ] Tiesto?" College senior Ryan Blicher said, hinting that SPEC try and bring in a techno performer.

College junior Chris Hillard said SPEC should try someone in the funk genre.

"Everybody likes funk," he said as his two friends nodded in agreement.

SPEC co-director Preston Hershorn said he was surprised by the negative student feedback.

"Hopefully, that's not an accurate representation," he said about the results of the DP's informal survey. "We are hoping for the best."

Hershorn added that SPEC will be advertising the concert on Locust Walk, playing Kweller's music on speakers if possible.

"They should play music of all these indie groups before they bring them to campus" College junior Kerri Lutfey said.

Some students are counting on it - College junior Feyi Gbadebo-Smith said he would wait until the concert day if he decides to buy a ticket.

"It depends on how much I know about him by then," he said.

Those interviewed who were familiar with Kweller's work said they would recommend it to a friend.

"He has very catchy music," Wharton sophomore Brianne Blakey said. "I would definitely suggest it to someone."

Hershorn added that he hopes "people will spread the word about how good he is" now that Kweller's coming has been announced.

Comments (10)

You can't be ambivalent about an unknown, unless perhaps you're torn in the decision whether to care or not. Come on, DP.

Jesus. This must be the fifth time I read this story in the DP since I've been here. Just replace "Ben Kweller" with "Ben Folds" or "Sonic Youth" and it's the same exact story. If people are so upset about what bands are brought on campus, why don't they join the organization that chooses and make their voices heard. The constant b*tching about their choices is just silly. We're in Philadelphia, there's enough live music here every week to satisfy any music fan's tastes.

So let me get this straight, you want SPEC to select an artist that is more popular than what we've had in the past, and from a non-mainstream musical genre? Well we want the DP to be half as long with twice as many articles. Good luck with that.

So let me get this straight, you want SPEC to select an artist that is simultaneously more popular, and less mainstream? Well we want the DP to be half as long, with twice as many articles. Good luck with that.

Thanks for deleting the original comment! Censorship AND yellow journalism? Mmmmm! Smells like the DP. So now, to clarify, you are asking us to select a performer who is simultaneously more well known, and less mainstream? We appreciate the input! We will get right on it! In return, however, we ask that you make your paper half as long, and include twice as many articles, at least one of which must be typo and hyperbole free. We'd also like to see at least one guest writer from a professional paper who is super famous, but not too famous. And we promise to openly mock your efforts in a banal, predictable fashion either way.

SPEC puts on an unpredecented and successful Spring Fling concert with two artists that were quite famous and well known, and you complain that it sold out too fast, and that SPEC should have better assessed student demand. Now, SPEC has a lesser known artist (who will probably also sell out), and you criticize them for not choosing someone famous enough! I hope a family of bears eats you, DP, because you're acting like Goldilocks.

i hate the dp.

I second student above. I hate the DP. Learn how to edit your articles. I am sick and tired of typos!

Agreed that the DP no longer knows how to edit. However, while the DP may be laughable, SPEC is (and as long as I've been here) always has been equally if not more laughable than the current DP. The Fling concert was moved to Wynn Commons for a few reasons but the primary one was that SPEC brought in a shitty band that no one wanted to see and there was no way in hell they could fill up even a corner of Franklin Field The next year, though, they stunningly managed to bring in a group people wanted to see and they managed to screw up by holding the concert in tiny Wynn Commons once again thereby shutting the majority of the students out of the concert. Look, SPEC, get off your high horse and try to do better. I'm sure the DP realizes that no matter how hard they try, not everyone's gonna like them and they've learned to deal with it. So should you. P.S. Posting comments on here really makes your organization look respectable!! xoxohth!

I was thinking of trying to get tickets to the Kweller show (I live in Chester County, and I'm not a student.) I saw him perform in Charlottesville, VA in a small venue last month, and it was a first rate show. The UVa crowd (90% of the audience were students) knew all the songs and really got into the music. Would love to see him again, but it sounds like Penn will not give him a warm welcome.

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