Council Will Not Hire Band For Springfest

The Undergraduate Council’s Campus Life Committee (CLC) has decided not to bring a band to Springfest this year, voting instead to direct its funds toward a bigger event in the fall.

The decision came at the committee’s Tuesday meeting, when a bill proposed by CLC Chair Michael R. Blickstead ’05 to allocate $20,000 for a band was narrowly defeated.

“The UC knows that the student population wants a major headliner at Springfest,” Blickstead said yesterday. “With our current funds, we won’t be able to bring one.”

“The CLC has agreed to save our money and organize an unbelievably huge concert in the fall that students will love,” he added.

University President Lawrence H. Summers has offered to fund all of Springfest this year except for a band, leaving the council the option of footing the bill for music.

Blickstead said committee members were unsatisfied with available bands.

“The committee didn’t want to bring a band like The Verve Pipe to Harvard again,” said Blickstead, referring to the modern rock outfit that played at last year’s Springfest.

The committee had been considering bids for George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, Guster, The Tragically Hip, LL Cool J and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, according to one council member.

As a result of the decision, student bands will have more stage time.

Blickstead said the council should be able to bring a bigger band to Harvard in the fall.

“If we do a concert we want to do it right, and if that means delaying it, that’s what we’ll do,” he said.

And Council President Rohit Chopra ’04 said the council might hold a smaller event as soon as this spring.

“We’re looking for some kind of professional entertainment—possibly a comedian,” Chopra said.

Council Treasurer Justin R. Chapa ’05 said Springfest this year will still be “a great student band event” and said that before last year no major band had appeared at the event.

Chapa said the ability to charge admission at a separate concert will allow the council to fund a much bigger act.

“In my opinion, we’re never going to get a big band as long as Springfest is free,” Chapa said.

However, Blickstead said that charging students for admission to Springfest conflicts with the underlying philosophy behind the event.

“Part of the idea of Springfest is that everything is free,” he said.

Student response to the news was mixed.

Terry Shih ’04 said that he probably wouldn’t go if the Council charges for tickets for their Fall concert.

“ I’d rather that they got a band for free [admission] for Springfest,” said Terry Shih ’04.

“I had a good time with the other stuff besides the band last year,” said Daria J. Hinz ’04. “I feel like the band isn’t very central to Springfest.”

—Staff writer William B. Higgins can be reached at whiggins@fas.harvard.edu.