PK-Boo HOW COME NO GOOD BANDS COME TO U.VA.? by Megan Kelly The Milt Hinton Trio performs at the 1994 Jazzfest photo by Mark Stehle Due to the phenomenal success of local boys "done good," i.e. the DMB, Charlottesville has gained quite a reputation for being "where it's at" in terms of up-and-coming music. The frenzy of musical activity taking place on the periphery of Central Grounds supplies the student body with shows by cutting-edge talents forging their way onto the stereos and cable channels across the nation. On practically any given night of the week, the multitude of hot spots around town offers a variety of musical selections sure to satisfy even the most discriminating music connoisseur. Whether it be at Miller's, Trax, or Tokyo Rose, no one can deny Charlottesville's vanguard status within the music scene. Regardless, it hasn't gone unnoticed that Charlottesville, as a college town, should be attracting a greater number of bands to play in the area. After all, a subcommittee of U-Union known as PK German exists specifically for this purpose. Earlier this semester, Ani DiFranco, the reigning queen of folk rock, played shows at VCU and at JMU, bypassing Charlottesville altogether. And just last week, George Mason University featured Beck and the Cardigans. For a free pair of tickets to the next show, what was the last band sponsored by PK German to play at U.Va.? It's not so easy, is it? Most students seem to recognize that the university's ability to bring bands to Charlottesville is, well, pathetic. Although there have been several concerts over the past couple of years, the number of people who can name at least three bands that have played since PK German brought Phish in '95 are few and far between. The number of people who actually attended these shows is even smaller. But is anyone concerned enough to change the situation? According to Omar Faison, Events Coordinator of U-Union and former President of PK German, the answer is a resounding no. He claims that the majority of students, although they may be upset over the apparent lack of effort put forth by PK German, are making no effort to lend a helping hand to the cause. "Everyone's just sitting around bitching about what people aren't doing." So why has PK German been striking out in the eyes of disgruntled, music-loving U.Va. students who, given their surroundings, expect nothing less than a home run? While it's tempting to lay the blame solely on the efforts of the committee, three major obstacles have severely paralyzed its batting arm. The first of these is, not surprisingly, money. PK German has a fundamental strike against it in the battle for funding: in this age of shrinking budgets, programs pertaining to any facet of the arts or entertainment are given little support. A quick tour around grounds and it becomes shamefully obvious which student activity ranks highest among the budget committee. Just one look at the newly constructed Aquatic Fitness Center and the extravagantly refurbished tennis courts, in comparison to the dilapidated conditions of the Culbreth and Newcomb Hall Theater, betrays where their sympathies lie. U-Union is allotted only $230,000 a year to be divided among its subcommittees - which include Cinematheque, Performing Arts, and PK German. Although the Student Activities Fee will be raised next year, the money is appropriated to StudCo and will have no impact on U- Union's budget, which is funded by a $14 fee that it shares with UTS. If PK German were to raise more money, would they be able to book a greater number of shows? Not exactly. This leads to the second problem: where are these bands supposed to play? Basically, the university doesn't have a suitable venue where bands can perform. We don't have any place like George Mason's Patriot Center or JMU's PC Ballroom. The first viable option is U-Hall, sight of the infamous Phish show. Unfortunately, it just isn't the right size, being too big for small bands and too small for big bands. In addition, the university is hesitant to offer the space to PK German again after the chaos that erupted when certain rowdy attendants rushed the door and broke into offices during Phish's set. The only other option is Mem Gym, where the under-advertised and under-attended Fugees played. However, it only holds 1800 people once the stage has been set up, which is a risky number as far as the Fire Marshall is concerned. As for booking a show off grounds, no venue in town is big enough to accommodate a large audience (the only place that comes close is the Charlottesville Performing Arts Center which seats 1200). PK German places major emphasis on attendance at the shows because it directly influences their profit. At smaller venues the committee doesn't stand to make any money even if the shows sell out. Since school-sponsored events cannot benefit from alcohol sales, they try to bring bands that would appeal to everyone, but have only succeeded in getting nothing. Faison complains of the smaller bands, that "few people show up: they see it only when they want to see it." Well, yes ... that's usually how it works. What's wrong with that? In PK German's defense, it takes manpower to do anything, which leads us to the third and most important problem. Some feel PK German is "too mainstream. If I suggest something too weird it will be rejected." This statement, however, is not entirely accurate. Faison stresses that PK German is a completely member-driven committee, and the types of bands booked are a direct reflection of the interests of the members. Only five people on average show up to the meetings (the next one, incidentally, is tonight at 6:30 in the Forestry Building). Faison claims members are "kids into hip hop and R&B," which explains why all the shows of the past year have been of that genre. Additional help is also needed at the show itself. PK German is required to have 12 people help the lighting company, and are charged $50 per person if they are short. Since they are low on funds to begin with, PK German obviously doesn't want to have to pay this fee. Where can they get that many people when less than half that number actually go to the meetings? Although it is tempting to lay the blame on student apathy, a degrading categorization we all seem to be lumped into these days, this argument is hard to swallow considering the huge student involvement elsewhere in the community. Madison House for instance, is the largest student volunteer organization in the nation. And, not too far removed from the musical world of PK German, radio stations WTJU and WNRN thrive from significant contributions by the student population. Maybe we need to ask ourselves why we are staying away from U-Union.

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