Samples tune up on campus

It wasn't your ordinary rock-n-roll venue. It was Skolnik's. But past the soups of the day – chicken noodle and Northeast clam chowder – and beyond the last scraps of pumpernickel bagels, rock band the Samples performed yesterday to a crowd of a few hundred. When the power blew in the middle of the first song, it seemed like Houston Hall's limitations as a concert site had become painfully clear. But the electricity was quickly restored and the Samples successfully completed their set amidst the zesty aroma of Skolnik's renowned garlic-flavored cream cheese. The Special Planning and Events Committee brought the Samples to campus for the 45-minute free show. The band was scheduled to perform last night at the Chestnut Cabaret. Organizer Rishon Blumberg said the University was lucky to get such an intimate performance from the band. "Thank God there is a graduating alumnus who works for the label," the Wharton senior said. Most students seemed to be in agreement, as some crowded around the band stretching for autographs and talking about particular songs. As lead singer Sean Kelly signed posters at Discovery Discs, fans discussed what they liked about the band from Boulder, Colo. "I am a big Samples fan," College sophomore Josh Senders said. "I like their type of music and I saw their Halloween show last year." Tracy Spitzberg, also a College sophomore, said she has "always listened to the Samples." She was attending the Houston Hall performance because she couldn't attend the Chestnut Cabaret show. The show had special meaning for Boulder native Victoria Morehouse. "I used to see these guys play in closet theaters where they got paid nothing," the College sophomore said. "I can't believe it," she said. "These guys are my babies, I'm so proud of them." SPEC hopes to capitalize on yesterday's successes at the upcoming Skimmer Day concert – a planned fall equivalent of Spring Fling. For Samples bassist Andy Sheldon, the show was pretty casual. As Sheldon signed scores of the band's bright green promotional posters, an admiring fan coyly asked him, "Will you sign my hand?" "It's great," Sheldon said. "It's fun for people to eat their lunch and hear some background music."

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.