The realistic spring concert

In a few weeks, SPEC Concerts will announce the headliner for the Spring Fling concert. Shortly after this announcement, a chorus of groans and complaints will be heard around campus.

And unless this year's headliner is a Beatles reunion, I will likely be one of those many complainers.

I will point out that on June 8, 1997, U2 played at Franklin Field. Bono and company brought 56,000 people to Penn's campus, throwing the first concert since the 1970s at the nation's first two-tiered stadium.

So this raises the question: Why can't Penn bring in big bands like this on a regular basis? After all, other colleges have seen their fair share of rock superstars visit their campuses recently.

Dave Matthews made stops at Appalachian State, Central Michigan, Miami of Ohio and Carthage College in the past year. In 2003, Bruce Springsteen rocked University of North Carolina's Kenan Stadium, while Metallica sold out Ohio State's football stadium.

Remember how you wanted to go to college in a major city? This is one of those tiny little side effects of attending school in the nation's fifth-largest metropolitan area, where there are nicer, bigger venues where these big bands can play. And unlike playing at Lincoln Financial Field or the Tweeter Center, playing at Franklin Field offers few extra perks.

Bands would rather contract with media conglomerates like Clear Channel than deal with individual venue owners like Penn.

Clear Channel -- which controls Philadelphia venues such as the Tweeter Center, Electric Factory and Tower Theater -- provides bands with guaranteed promotion, as they also control six major radio stations in Philadelphia.

The company also controls popular venues and radio stations in other cities around the country, making a relationship with Clear Channel more valuable than a relationship with Penn.

If Clear Channel wasn't a big enough road block to another sellout concert at Franklin Field, another corporate giant, Comcast, also stands in our way.

The cable magnate, able to promote its concerts on television, controls the Wachovia Center, Spectrum and Temple's Liacouras Center.

The one large venue in the city that is not controlled by one of these media giants is Lincoln Financial Field, which is simply bigger and more modern than Franklin Field. It boasts a state-of-the-art sound system and cushy facilities that Penn's 82-year-old stadium cannot offer.

So how was the school able get U2 to come to campus?

The band actually went out of its way to play at Franklin Field. Unlike bands that play at Spring Fling, which are sought out by SPEC Concerts, U2 came to the Penn athletic department specifically asking to play at the historic venue.

The University, however, had minimal control over the event. Students did not receive discounted tickets, and members of SPEC Concerts -- many of whom use the group as a way to learn about how the music industry works -- were not allowed to help at the event.

But the U2 concert took place over the summer, when student involvement is not necessary. Spring Fling, on the other hand, is special because it is so accessible and student-run.

And while the U2 concert benefited some on Penn's campus -- the Athletic Department reported several hundred thousand dollars in profits, and local bars had record numbers of patrons -- others were hurt by having such a large concert nearby.

Due to a lack of parking in the vicinity of Franklin Field, many concert-goers parked their cars in the streets, creating a traffic nightmare. HUP, for example, had trouble getting ambulances to its emergency room entrance. The city's other concert venues can accommodate this large number of vehicles.

So when your blood starts to boil over this year's Spring Fling concert selection, don't blame SPEC. They make the best of a bad situation.

Don't blame the University either. While they don't provide SPEC with the millions of dollars needed to bring in a top-tier band, they do provide more than enough money to get bands that would realistically play at Penn over other local venues.

If you are looking for someone to blame, point your finger at the bands. Dave Matthews or Bruce Springsteen would almost definitely sell out Franklin Field and make a small fortune for doing so, but these bands want more.

Unfortunately, they choose the extra money and promotion that comes with the other venues, over the history of Franklin Field and the satisfaction of playing for college students.

David Burrick is a junior urban studies major from Short Hills, N.J., and executive editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian. Camp David appears on alternate Thursdays.

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