Marley fest draws small crowd

The legend of Bob Marley lives on. Over 500 students turned out for The 10th Anniversary Salute to Bob Marley concert at Irvine Auditorium Wednesday night. What began as a small and not-so-enthusiastic crowd, turned into a group of screaming students that danced in the aisles for most of the three-hour reggae festival. The Maccabbee Band, Marcia Griffith, Andrew Tosh, Rita Marley, and The Wailers turned Irvine into a dance party with songs like "The Electric Slide." Marley's wife, Rita Marley, made a special dedication to her husband towards the middle of the show, which elicited roars from the crowd. She performed such Bob Marley favorites as "No Woman, No Cry", "Buffalo Soldiers" and "Don't Worry". Then, singer Marcia Griffith took the stage and sang a remake of Fleetwood Mac's "I Want To Be With You Everywhere." Despite the many empty seats, those in attendance said they thoroughly enjoyed the concert. "The small size was good and unifying," said College freshman Jon Denbo. "It was like a club." "It's amazing . . . Bob Marley is the man," said Wharton freshman Jeff Miller. Some students said that they did not enjoy all the acts, adding that they wish more Marley songs were played. "I wished more songs were sung that were by Bob Marley," said College junior Gabby Yearwood. Rita Marley, herself, said she noticed the crowd's "energy." "It makes me very happy to know so many people still keep Bob Marley sacred and remember his music," she said. "The crowd tonight was very special." The concert was the fourth organized by the Social Planning and Events Committee this semester. Ed Gold, SPEC concerts co-director, said that he thought that the concert was great, but he expected a larger turnout. "Attendance was not what we had hoped," the Wharton junior said. Gold added that SPEC probably took a small loss on the concert, since organizers hoped to fill the 1500 seat auditorium.

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