Notes on Notes: Spring Fling 2007
April 13, 2007
“Notes on Notes” is a bi-weekly column of musings on music, both old and new.
It’s that time of year again. As students return from Spring Break, hopeful for better weather, and the academic year progresses quickly towards final exams and essays, there’s at least one day’s repose built into Tufts’ schedule: Spring Fling. For one afternoon, we’re given the chance to hang out with friends, drink, and relax to some live music on our own President’s back yard. The party scene at Tufts may be in the tubes, but at least we get Spring Fling.
Organized and executed by Tufts Concert Board, the event must meet high expectations across all of Tufts’ diverse student body. It’s a tough job for Concert Board to pick artists. Rock or hip-hop? Should they get fewer big name acts or more up and coming artists? Will they pick mainstream sensations or critically acclaimed acts, aimed to please Tufts’ music snobs? Well, the sad fact of it is they can’t hope to please everyone, but they can try.
My last two Spring Flings did not live up to the hype. Two years ago, the event featured nostalgia act Goldfinger and Busta Rhymes, who was forced to cancel his set at Tufts for the second time because of inclement weather. The rain aside, I hoped for more from my first Spring Fling than to wait for 99 Red Balloons and be bored by the rest. Locals Apollo Sunshine played well during set changes, but few paid attention. Busta Rhymes would have been fun, but even if he had played, it wouldn’t have saved it for me.
Last year featured Blackalicious and Guster. Good, diplomatic choices, I suppose, but I think most were half-pleased at best. Blackalicious is a great act, but not well known; Guster perhaps the opposite. Guster delivered a lackluster performance, background music for meeting friends more than a captivating concert. Nobody saw the saving graces of last year’s event—Boston indie-rock act The Slip. The group opened the day, performing an impassioned hour of music for the handful of students not busy pregaming somewhere else. Likewise, The Hold Steady was a great set change band, only a few months away from releasing one of the best albums of 2006, Boys and Girls Of America—few listened.
But Spring Fling isn’t about the supporting groups. Although those bands have delivered the best sets, students like to see bands they know, music they can sing along to, and songs they recognize. I can’t blame them, but there’s more to a concert than bands playing their hits just as they appear on disc. Last week, a rumor circulated claiming Ace of Base was to be this year’s headliner. That may have been fun for drunken sing alongs, but no more entertaining than doing the same at a party. Luckily Concert Board has a better Spring Fling planned.
This year’s event, on April 28th, features indie-rockers Spoon, Kanye West’s young protégé Lupe Fiasco, and Atlanta rapper T.I. Each act caters to a different crowd and together should make for a fun afternoon. Lupe Fiasco’s debut 2006 album Food & Liquor was a surprisingly mature effort. With great beats from celebrity producers and a fresh new approach to hip-hop storytelling, (see “Kick Push” about a lonely, confused skateboarder) Lupe has established himself as a new artist to be watched. Spoon has been kicking around the rock scene, both indie and major-label, for some ten years now, releasing critically acclaimed EP’s and LP’s along the way. 2005’s Gimme Fiction cemented their modern sound, combining singer-songwriter, punk flourishes influenced by Elvis Costello, and some sonic explorations akin to new wave bands like the Pixies. Headlining the show is one of rap’s biggest names these days, T.I. After his #1 album King and his feature film debut, ATL, T.I. seems to be at the top of his game. His clubby beats and steady rhyming make him a good choice for Spring Fling.
I applaud Concert Board’s efforts this year. They’ve managed to diversify the acts, representing indie rock, underground hip-hop, and mainstream rap in the process. While everyone’s favorite acts might be missing, (I’d rather see Yo La Tengo and The Flaming Lips, the bands Brown has for their spring weekend) I think this year’s lineup should please many. With the opportunity to sway to Spoon’s guitar licks, nod to Lupe Fiasco’s innovative beats, and shout “I like my beat down low” with T.I., Tufts’ students will have a great afternoon of music. And, let’s face it, as long as the weather’s nice, your friends are there, and you’re drunk enough or happy enough, it’ll be a good time.
John DeCarli is a junior majoring in English and Italian.