Here we go again.
This year's Spring Fest lineup has been announced, and the backlash has begun. International hip-hop stars Rick Ross, Fabolous, and Tyga will be performing at this year's concert, much to the chagrin of the Facebook masses.
As opposed to every other year in its history, the Student Association set up a system that allowed students to vote on potential performers. While students have been clamoring for such a system for quite some time, implementation has proven to be less than simple.
Of the top 10 artists, seven are not available and one needed to be booked before December. Needless to say, this frustrated many students, and with good reason: It's never enjoyable to be disappointed when you think that someone is coming when they weren't even available.
While we agree that at least some more research needs to be done ahead of time so that at least bands that aren't available won't be on the ballot, nothing is really ever that simple.
According to a reliable source, SA was on the track to booking the number one student choice, LMFAO, but the deal fell through. On SA's Facebook page, it says that LMFAO is cancelling its entire tour because of family troubles. This could not be confirmed.
After going down the rest of the list of headliners, Rick Ross at number eight was the next available act.
Then there are people complaining about the show's content. One student sanctimoniously commented about being in a minority of people who liked "decent" music; others complained about there not being any rock groups on tap.
Firstly, Fall Fest was already a rock show. It may not have been a rock band that you liked, but The Fray is most certainly not a hip-hop act. Also, the people that voted overwhelmingly wanted hip-hop acts to come.
Next, it's unfair to call the lineup a "bad" lineup. Each of the artists the SA procured is a popular act, and has a number of big hits. We easily recognize that popularity doesn't necessarily mean that the music is good, but it does mean that there are a lot of people out there that like it.
It's very important to remember that any person's taste in music is completely subjective. You might not like the lineup, but your perfect show would probably irk just as many people as the current one does.
Each year we watch the cycle of announcement and rage occur again, we can't help but think that there is no possible way to make the students happy with Fall and Spring Fest.
If SA has a survey, people will be mad when their picks aren't selected. If SA doesn't have a survey, students will complain about not having a voice in the decision process. In essence, they're damned if they do, damned if they don't.
To that end, maybe there should be more effort put into the concerts that people enjoy - the Small Concert series. Last year during spring semester, we were able to see Kid Cudi. This year Chiddy Bang came to put on a great show.
If the choice is between a bunch of good concerts or a big one that only a few people are satisfied with, then maybe it's time to rethink how we're spending these entertainment dollars.
After all, that money is our money.
