Musicians, students 'rock' for charity downtown

Approximately 800 students attended the concert, which was held in Center City for the first time. Rain may have been streaming down outside, but the only things flowing inside Jake and Oliver's last night were drinks, rhythm and dance moves. In a change of venue, students rocked downtown for charity instead of on-campus. It was a fortuitous move --Ethis year, rain failed to dampen the ninth-annual Penn Rocks for the Homeless concert. Between 800 and 1,000 University students and other Philadelphia residents attended the concert at the bar/party hall at 22 South 3rd St. in Old City. Attendance was strong for the event, which managed to attract nearly as many people in its new location as had attended its former incarnation behind the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity house on the 4000 block of Walnut Street. The event used to be held on Spring Fling weekend. Attendees drank and danced until the wee hours during the benefit concert, which raises money for the People's Emergency Center and Empty the Shelters. This year, concert organizers voted to change the location and time of the event to avoid the Pennsylvania State Police's Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement, which gave out 51 citations -- 36 for underage drinking and 15 for possession of a fake ID -- at the 1996 concert. Organizers also wanted to avoid rainy weather, which forced the cancellation of last year's concert. "We thought that if we moved [the concert] downtown to avoid the LCE, no one would want to leave campus during Spring Fling," said Penn Rocks Co-Director Susan Padnick, a College senior. "So we decided to push the actual concert back, too." Although the outdoor concert usually draws more than 1,000 spectators, an indoor venue downtown meant fewer attendees and a smaller capacity to house them. Jake and Oliver's can hold upwards of 800 people, and organizers said they succeeded in drawing a crowd that came close to filling the venue to capacity. "We also wanted to attract people that would normally just go to Jake and Oliver's on a Thursday night," said Wharton senior Mike Mallin, the event's other co-director. "And students as young as 18 can even get in, so I don't see the move affecting attendance." Mallin added that the concert had "the same spirit" as its outdoor counterpart. "What's great about Penn Rocks is that it doesn't have a specific crowd, like the Greeks," he said. "It's a diverse crowd of people who get together for a great cause." The earlier date did not prevent students from beginning their Spring Fling a week early as many crammed around the bar and onto the upstairs dance floor. "Partying for the charity -- what could be better?" asked Engineering and Wharton sophomore Josh Krotec. "It's a great location, too." And College junior Chris Wissler, who said he remembered Penn Rocks as a "packed" event two years ago, added that he was impressed with the new venue's "two-level effect." Drinks poured from the bars as three bands and four disc jockeys entertained the masses. Penn band The Lainmeyers were joined by Groove Function, known for their acid jazz, and The Princes of Babylon, one of G. Love's back-up bands and another blues contingent. "It was a great place to play," said Ben Daniels, a member of The Lainmeyers. "Jake and Oliver's was transformed from a yuppie, rich-person place to something real." The Lainmeyers brought a strong Penn following, but The Princes of Babylon headlined the event and performed for a packed house. The local group 5000 Deep was also scheduled to play the benefit, but canceled just days before. Organizers said they did not know the reason for the "last-minute drop out," but some speculated that one member may have left the band. Concert-goers did not seem to notice the missing act as they moved between the bands on the lower floor and disc jockeys Randall Jones, Dave Q. and J.P. upstairs. Sixteen prizes, including courtside tickets to a Sixers-Bulls basketball game and free dinners, were also raffled off to attendees. Although some guests said they were disappointed with the prizes, most agreed that the event was successful because it raised money for "a good cause." "I definitely think this is a great thing for Penn to do," College sophomore Erin Healy said. "But there is so much more we can do for the homeless." Daily Pennsylvanian staff writer Liz Goldhirsh contributed to this article.

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