Pharcyde selected as fourth band for Fling

Alternative hip-hop outfit the Pharcyde will complete this year's Spring Fling concert bill, which already includes the Violent Femmes, the Skatalites and moe. The annual concert on Hill Field will be held April 19 this year. Wharton senior Gil Beverly, the Fling co-director, said the Pharcyde is a rap group with crossover appeal. "Lots of different people like them a lot," Beverly said. The Pharcyde released its second album, Labcabincalifornia, in 1995 to critical acclaim and commercial success. This disc followed the group's debut, Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde. This year the band performed in a nationwide tour with 311 and Cypress Hill, including a sold-out show at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia. College senior Mike Parker, Social Planning and Events Committee co-director of concerts, said he has seen the band live several times. "They're always a total blast to see," Parker said. "They really improvise a lot." And the group's music comes from yet another musical genre, contributing to a bill that runs across the musical spectrum. "They're a perfect complement to the rest of our show," Beverly said. The Pharcyde is a contemporary rap group on the cutting edge of hip-hop, while the Violent Femmes are classic '80s rockers. The Skatalites were among the founders of ska music -- and psychedelic rockers moe. have only existed for three years. College junior and Fling co-director Melissa Schaefer explained that her committee deliberately chose four bands with different musical styles in an attempt to reach more students on campus. "We know it's impossible to make everybody happy," Schaefer said. "But we wanted to make as many people as possible want to come see the show." The Pharcyde is the fourth and final band to be added to the bill. Tickets for the April 19 show will be on sale on Locust Walk and through Annenberg and Ticketmaster beginning the first week in April, Schaefer added. In a departure from previous Fling concert procedures, this year's concert will be held on Friday night, not Saturday. Parker said in a post to an Internet newsgroup that the change resulted from the bands' schedules. He said the tickets will cost about $15. "It's a totally eclectic bill," Parker added. "I think this show is a great package."

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