Music is in my blood. It flows as freely as the seeds from a cloudpuff dandelion. I live for my mp3s and my CDs that have squeezed into my RAM and the space between the end table and my desk. My CD collection is probably worth more than some people’s cars. Contrarily, I haven’t been to many concerts. The pertinent concerts I have seen are as follows: Maurice Williams and The Zodiacs, Yanni (don’t you dare laugh--my skeptical jaw dropped when I actually heard the music), Candlebox, and Collective Soul touring with Oleander. Students like me don’t have a lot of time to go to concerts in neighboring Roanoke and Virginia Tech, so it would be great if RU could get some good more eclectic acts down here. But no!

Years ago R.E.M. came. Of course, that was around the time of Green and Eponymous, when they were about as famous as the Seattle act Steel Pole Bathtub are now. Bob Dylan came in 1993. Bob Dylan. Let me say that again. Bob Dylan. Without a doubt he is the most influential songwriter of the latter-half of the twentieth century, with Irving Berlin being the most famous of the first half. About ten years ago Bad Company came. Come on, you remember them. “It’s all part…of my rock ‘n’ roll fantasy…it’s all part…of my rock ‘n’ roll dream.”

What I would like to see is, not only a few good concerts each year, but, at least one of considerable notability each year. To my dismay but to the joy of many others, Redman and Method Man are paying the Highlanders a big, rowdy visit in March. I am only familiar with Method Man’s collaboration with Limp Bizkit. My roommate owns a Redman album. To be perfectly honest, it is the most despicable barrage of painful ranting I have ever had the misfortune of exposing my ears to. What kind of lyric is “f--- the f--- out”? Neither I nor my friends had heard of either of these performers before they were scheduled to come to the school. I know some real devout rap fans who have no clue who Redman is and have only heard the Limp Bizkit collaboration song in regards to Method Man.

Without being biased or anything what I am trying to say is we need some concerts at RU that fit in the middle, if you will. Not something incredibly expensive like Metallica, but not something so lame as the Turkish Accordion Trio. A good example: a few years back Primus came to RU, I believe around the time of their Pork Soda album. I suggest the Campus Activities Board look at all music genres, rock, alternative, country, >shudder< hip-hop, and perhaps even classical and world music, and see who needs a boost, who needs some exposure, but who is also known for some previous work. Any of you ever heard of Planet Drum? That is Mickey Hart’s new musical endeavor. If you don’t know who Mickey Hart is, well, I really see no hope for you in the art world… “Dude, who the heck is he? I just came out of the monastery yesterday!”

I give kudos to the CAB so far only for attempting to bring Goo Goo Dolls here and earlier for trying to bring Fuel to the school. Neither venue happened. There have been a few concerts that have been isolated in an auditorium, but they were all poorly advertised. I learned about the classical guitarist who came here a few weeks ago when I went home for the weekend, the weekend he was performing. Shouldn’t The Tartan be a better campus event announcer than The Roanoke Times?

To conclude my screaming and stewing, I would just like to say that music is a huge part of many college students’ lives. You walk across campus and coming from dorm room windows you will hear everything from Kid Rock to The Doors to Garth Brooks. If I am not mistaken, this campus has some green stuff? Well then! Will you please get some cooler names down here?

Name: Rob
Comments:
"I suggest the Campus Activities Board look at all music genres...and perhaps even classical and world music" Radford University offers over 20 'classical and world music' concerts every year...bringing in some of the most famous performers around the world.

Name: Pam
Year: freshman next yr.
Major: music
Comments:
okay whoever it is that said the thing about SAT scores should quit stereotyping because that is not the reason at all that I applied to Radford and decided to come there at all. True I don't have the money to fork out $$30,000 a year for a private school, but I don't know many people that do. Most students at those schools are on scholarships and tons of financial aid. RU has an excellent music department full of ways for my experience to expand. On top of that, Radford's campus is absolutely gorgeous. I chose Radford over the other places I got accepted...JMU, UVA, etc. So bullshit on the SAT score comment. I find it very discouraging to see things written like that before I even get to school. And what posessed you to leave a comment like that anyway? This article had nothing to do with the school's stereotypes. On a better note, I would also like to thank whoever wrote this article. I was very curious about the concert scene in Radford and now I know and though it is discouraging, maybe something can be done about it. Thanks. :)

Comments:
Ok, to be honest I was sooo not excited about the stupid Methodman/Redman concert at all....I was PISSED OFF that Quadfest was cancelled b/c I could not see a great band that was scheduled to play, E:everything....The music scene here sucks

Comments:
Ok, to be honest I was sooo not excited about the stupid Methodman/Redman concert at all....I was PISSED OFF that Quadfest was cancelled b/c I could not see a great band that was scheduled to play, E:everything....The music scene here sucks

Name: Bill
Year: 2000
Major: Medical Technology
Comments:
I think the music scene here @ Radford sucks diarrhea thru a McDonalds straw. It's either some MTV crap, which the M stands for Mindless, or it's rap, where if you put a capital C in front of it, you would get my personal opinion of it. Maybe I'm too white or too old to get into this music scene here, but it is pretty pitiful. What I have found is that you have to dig around to come across decent music, at least what I consider decent. If you are in the right place at the right time you can see some good shows, for example, I saw Local H @ V.T. & it was only $6, and I saw C.O.C. @ a small club in Rke. I have to admit I was pleased with Doc Watson coming here. But usually you have to go to B-burg or Rke to come across some decent music, & usually you have to cross state lines to see a band like Fu Manchu which I saw @ Chapel Hill. You just have to dig around, like the way I dig thru the used CD selections @ the Record Exchange, but oh well, such as life. Have a nice day........................

Comments:
People at this school disgust me!

Name: PeeR
Comments:
It's all good now. Let's go play some baseball. :)

Name: jeff (the author)
Comments:
Alumni: I have realized the error of my ways, thank you for your placement on this form. It's been a bit hard for me not to be defensive. I come from a very, VERY conservative town where I am often viewed upon as a loser, gay, etc etc etc. I was pretty taken aback by the meaningless comments on here that rely on no real base at all, but I need to learn to let it go. It's taking a while, but I am closer than I have ever been. Thanks.

Name: Brian Korte
Comments:
Lindsey, congratulations on sales for the concert! I am very surprised, but very pleased to be wrong in my assumption that the show wouldn't sell too well. Way to go! That's great!!

Comments:
I don't like Method Man and Redman. Most rap is very shallow and worthless.

Name: Alumni
Comments:
Vent is the title of this section of your Online Magazine. Lets keep that in Mind. Vent in and of itself denotes a negative tone. What the author of the article has done is vented. In turn he was responded to with others venting and viewing their opinion. The author here has gone wrong by whining about his feedback. To the Author: You said your piece now accept the resposibilty for your actions and allow other to tell their side. Would you agree that you can't label or slander (CAB members) until you have walked in their shoes. I assisted in the founding of CAB and frequent your page. It is set up with weekly meetings a venue for students to vent directly to the Executive members of CAB and put in the physical effort to help in the constant building process and not facilitate verbal attacks which only break things down with ambivalence and neglect. Mr author you have a responsibilty as a publisher on an undefined venue to air your thoughts and speak without censorship . . . don't abuse it. You are attempting (poorly ) to speak about music to people. And really you are attacking people with no direct attempt to better a proccess that would require you to get up and work rather than hide behind your computer. The internet is a tool not a replacemnt for the real world. Your web page is a .edu page. Marked for the education and enlightenment of others with the intent to inform and educate. To look and assess all sides not to attack and tear apart. The educational system at Radford and many other universities should be a time to vent but also to relize the importancce to allow others to do the same and I would think that your generation would be more accepting than others considering the desire to be understood. Act responsibily with the gifts of freedom that Are extended on todays college campuses and with the power of the internet. But MOST IMPORTANTLY don't waste time attacking eachother set your self up for success by showing your accomplishments. E-mailing is a means . . . but doing something is an ends. I challenge you to follow up with your e-mail with ideas and a means to an ends on what needs to be done and what barriers are out their. Your in college, educate yourself, no one else is going to do it for you! It takes both ideas and hard work, that is what we in the working world call knowledge if you don't have a knowledge of things your are just some idiot screwing around on the internet. ( Not a very nice thing for me to say is it? but it is my freedom.) People will spend their whole lives complaining and telling you what is wrong. The few that truly know what Life is about Live by making things happen. I was hoping for a concert I could come back for, I may not be there for this one but I do have some alumni friends who will and I may come up just to see them and have a good time. . . thats what I did in college. I have also been to alot of concerts on alot of college campuses and they all smoke pot( @ BOB DYLAN pot was the least of the drug concerns . . . get a clue . . the world didn't start the year you were born.

Name: Lindsey
Year: Junior
Major: Psychology
Comments:
First of all, we are trying being diverse and bringing different groups like RAP! I understand that you do not agree with bringing rap to Radford, but many other students are excited about Redman and Method Man coming. In fact we are looking at a possible sold out show, so apparently not all RU students feel the same way. As for the person who said we should send a couple of albums out to Alumni, I have received many emails for ticket information about the concert from very excited Alumni. Every year we try to bring something different in a reasonable price range that we can afford due to our budget constraints...because we don't have as much green stuff as you think. Perhaps next year we can look into bringing Yanni for Jeff and Brian. What you may not also realize is that when these big names came they were not big names and we did not pay a big price for them. A survey was handed out at Club Fair for what you wanted to bring from our list of choices. We are only given so many groups that are even touring and from their they are narrowed down by price range, student input, and availability. So, if you have such a problem with who we are bringing this year then get involved with CAB and you can help in the planning of who we bring next year and you can see that it isn't quite as easy as you think.

Name: jeff (the author)
Comments:
All right people. This is disgusting. I wrote this article about the lack of good concerts at RU. The blatant name calling and ridiculous stereotypes that are being used here do not belong in this feedback form, they do not belong in my article, and they DO NOT belong in my section. If you can't write a comment that means something, get the heck off of this page.

Comments:
RU School Spirit! Who-Hoo!!! 60 proof.

Comments:
"Your School" sucks. It's full of mediocre sex fiends and drunks who didn't have the SATs to get any to the good schools and didn't have the money to get into the private schools. Get over it. You should have known this before you came here. Maybe you are as stupid as the reputation you dislike.

Name: Future RU Alum
Comments:
Well to the individual below who seems to find it easy to use unreliable information concerning RU. First, RU DOES NOT have the worst substance abuse reputation in the state. When I was at University of Richmond, the students their claimed they had the worst reputation. So may be you should review your facts on this statement. Because I (a future alum) don't appreciate your comments that deteriorates the reputation of MY school (since you don't seem to care about it). And secondly, for your information that "chinese guy" who donated money to the school was NOT chinese. And his money DOES NOT pay for such concerts. YOU, the student pays student activity fees that goes to this concert. So just a little advice for the future - 1) get your facts straight and 2) make sure you know what you say about MY school because I love it and if your don't, then leave.

Comments:
I have no way to confirm this because I don't listen to crap, but I understand that Method Man and Redman glorify alchohol and smoking weed, not to mention recreational violence. Is this the kind the of message that RU, SGA, and CAB is comfortable promoting? Here we are with the worse substance abuse reputation in the state (and region really) and the student high potentates think its a pretty good idea to bring in a group that sends the message that this is ok, actually your a dork and not very cool if you don't smoke the method. Good lord, I don't think we could have gotten a worse act. What would the alumni say if we brought it to their attention. Let's send a cd to several of the more important ones like the chinese guy that just bought us a building. I wonder how they would like to know that their alumni money is going to support gangsta rap and a prosubstance abuse message. Good work SGA and CAB.

Comments:
I don't care about the beuocratic nonsense about where money goes to this and that. The fact is I pay money to go to school and I pay money for entertainment. I just wish that I wasn't told to pay for one when I paid for the other or vice versa. When I go to the wrasslin show in roanoke, the don't me pay to support a class on economics that I am not going to take. Why should it be reversed?

Name: Dawn
Comments:
I am an African-American and not particularly fond of either Method Man or Redman's lyrics. A few years ago, I attended a concert at a college campus in Greensboro, NC. I only went because I had nothing else to do, but I have to tell you, I did not regret it. They put on a darn good show! I am still not impressed by the lyrics on the CD versions of their music, but if I have the money to attend another of their concerts I will surely be there!

Name: Just another opinionated student
Comments:
right..but the issue still stands: I don't think many people want to see Method Man and Redman in concert at RU. Maybe I'll go grab my sock full of WEED and head down to the concert later this month..*HINT HINT, RU Police* And..in addition, I agree with the guy down below who said we should have more performers come other than musicias..I heard Adam Sandler and Gahlager were both pretty funny when they were here a few years ago... Are you listening, CAB?

Name: George
Comments:
To the individual who did not bother to leave their name and commented on my view of tuition costs. I do not support cutting faculty salaries nor do I personally support having to pay more tuition for services I very rarely use or even see. However, I do not like the state legislators mandate to INCREASE faculty salaries EVERY year and not dish the money for it. I understand and respect your position where the money should go. But to help clarify your understanding of tuition and fees. All the tuition money go towards academics. I believe the amount for in-state tuition is around $900. This amount covers faculty/staff salaries and other departmental budgets. The fees is what covers all those non-academic related expenses. Just as you pay your taxes to our government for services you do not even bother to use, you pay these fees that are intended to enhance your education and provide a learning environment that develops a traditional student into better educated adults. College is not just academics its about leadership development, interpersonal skills growth, etc. You along with countless other students may dislike paying these extra costs but just like taxes - its intended to improve the educational environment for everyone. So may be you should try not to be selfish when considering where your money goes. And be more receptive to the fact that regardless where you or I stand on this issue, our university will have NO other choice but to either raise fees for all students and tuition for graduate/out-of-state undergraduates or make cuts to various university programs such as the musical concerts sponsored by our College of Visual and Performing Arts, Scholarly lectures hosted by various academic departments, and the concerts supported by our Campus Activities Board. Sorry for such a long response but I thought it would educational for you to understand where and why money comes and goes to CAB and BAP for various activities to include concerts.

Comments:
that goes double for the SGA

Comments:
I can't believe anyone (much less the SGA president, mind you) would argue that our tuiton should be higher and our profs should be paid less. Personally, I rather like the idea of my tuiton money going strictly to classes and not to the the side fluff that attaches itself to universities like clubs and concerts. You want to have a gangsta rap concert? Fine, YOU raise the money and bring in whomever the hell you want. Just leave my money out of it. Same goes for everything else around here that is not directly related to academics- sprots, church groups, campus clubs. I don't like the idea that I have to pay extra money even though I couldn't care less about any of them. Put the basturds out in the free market. Let em compete for survival. Stop making all of us pay for the non-academic special interests of a minority of students.

Name: Jenn
Comments:
I think they have to give every genre a chance to have their music heard live. I'm sure a lot of people at RU will go see Redman and Methodman live and some of my friends from home will be envious of me when I tell them these two artists are coming to my school. If you don't like what is offered this year then just don't go. It's as simple as that. No one is making you go against your will. Maybe you'll like whoever comes next year. I'm impressed that a school our size can bring in names as big as Method/Redman and Third Eye Blind with Eve 6 last year. So to all of ya'll who just sit there and complain I say either get involved with CAB (or any campus organization) to make your opinions heard or shut up.

Name: George
Year: Senior
Major: CRJU
Comments:
This whole year, I have heard these comments and suggestions from all sorts of students. Unfortunately, it seems like people (students, legislators, administrators, etc.) want more and more. But yet no one wants to pay more and of course our administrators are forced to raise more money through fees. The commonwealth of Virginia mandated a 20% reduction in tuition for in-state students last year and then mandated a 3-5% salary increase for faculty and this year they are mandating another pay raise. And one more thing, they want us to continue doing our current programs and seek to improve them. I'm sorry but it does not take a genius to know that there is only so much money that you can use to do things. To our legislators in Richmond, GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER! Stop mandating pay increases and yet require tuition decreases. In the comments below and in the article above, it seems like we all want something better which costs money of which little or none exists. To CAB and our university who does a very good job with what little they have....keep up the good work. And those of you who complain about not having bigger, better things at RU lets sit down and talk about what it would take to do what you ask. The green stuff does not exist when you look at everything it pays. Its a sad tale that I hope students and administrators will be able to work out.

Comments:
Why does it have to be music? RU used to get some great speakers. George Carlin was here. Dennis Miller. Noam Chomsky. The list goes on and on. Tech just had Michael Moore. It didn't really cost them that much and rumor has it they made quite a tidy profit off of it. I have a hard time accepting that the big event of the semester is Method/Red, which is a music commonly identitied with a culture that is not prevalent at RU, or maybe it is and I have a hard time making myself believe it. I don't want to sound like an old foggie or a racist, but what I have heard of them sounds like pure, warmed over crap. It's not my culture, but I am open minded and respect that everyone has a right to patrnonize what culture they wish too, and that objectivly no culture or people are intrinsicly better than any other the others, but come on folks! Is there no one else we could have gotten? Who is making the decisions around here?

Name: Brian Korte
Year: senior
Major: MSTD
Comments:
"this campus has some green stuff," sure. Whether or not they will share it with the rest of the campus' organizations, clubs, and tier 1, 2, and 3 groups is another story. Your student activities fees cover things like Heth, Dedmon, student media, CAB, BAP, SGA, and tons more. Ask anyone on The Student Activities Budgeting Committee (SABC) and they'll tell you the same thing. There is no money. Every year, SABC is asked by the govt. to reduce their total by 5%. That 5% gets trickled down throughout. Everybody takes a cut. -- And when you're only getting $800 a year, that cuit is more significant then when you've got a running budget of about 130,000. These budgets are public, so if you are interested, come and find out for yourself, people. The numbers will surprise you. That's why I've always admired Whim. Look at all of this incredible stuff here. There is no clip art. There are no wire or AP stories. Everything is student-run, and voluntary at that. I'm damned proud to be a part of Whim, and I'm damned proud to be a part of a group that looks at a tiny budget and instead of frowning, says, "Let's make the most of what we've got." And as for CAB-- I'd settle for Yanni before you get my ass into a chair at the REDMAN/METHOD MAN concert. Good luck on sales. :)