For the first time in several years, Penn's student concert organizers will attach their name to a large show not called Spring Fling. Howie Day's coming to Irvine Auditorium next month is a welcome addition to the Penn calendar for which the Social Events and Planning Committee should be commended.
Day may not be a household name, but the tune is recognizable and the tickets are affordable. And when you're looking to attract students, that's not a bad combination.
More importantly than this particular act, though, is the idea of re-establishing the fall concert as a Penn tradition.
There is little need for SPEC Concerts to spend its wad solely on Fling. Having other significant shows throughout the year such as this will bring students together and also give the organizers an opportunity to experiment with different genres and music styles.
Sonic Youth, Cat Power and Citizen Cope may not have been marketable as a Fling lineup, but one of them individually may have made for a fine show.
Let's leave the door open for more variety in the future. The Undergraduate Assembly last spring voted to throw an additional $35,000 into the pot for concerts. Adding more shows than just Spring Fling sounds like money well spent.
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