Dylan Yuska

Contributing Writer

Lupe Fiasco lived up to his name, proving to truly be a fiasco last Friday night. Unfortunately, the Spring Concert wasn’t all it was cracked up to be, but only those who left early would call it a failure. Sure, Lupe Fiasco was a huge disappointment, with his reputation now only hovering slightly above that of Avicii, but Third Eye Blind gave an exceptional performance.

Unlike the other diva that failed to perform this year, Lupe Fiasco is actually taking responsibility for his sudden departure. His tweets seemed genuine enough. He is also apparently giving the money back. Who really expected that much from him anyway? The entire buzz prior to the concert was about Third Eye Blind and Frankie Muniz apparently being the drummer for Kingsfoil. When Lupe Fiasco left the building, not many people truly cared. People actually had more fun booing him than listening to him anyway. There was a reason the crowd didn’t shrink much after he deserted the stage.

That’s when the fun started though. After a wait that seemed longer than a line for a register, the lights dimmed again. This time the excitement was palpable. As a hooded figure approached the microphone, the crowd simmered. A jolt was felt throughout Sojka Pavilion. An enormous Third Eye Blind banner slid down in the background, white lights blasted the crowd and an eager voice roared on the microphone. People were excited for the band, and the band reciprocated the energy.

Lupe Fiasco blamed the sound system for his departure; Third Eye Blind couldn’t care less. Lupe Fiasco lamented about the color of the lights; Third Eye Blind joyfully pronounced their indifference toward the set. After a few jabs to Lupe Fiasco followed by loud cheers from the enthusiastic crowd, the concert truly began. Third Eye Blind rocked it. Everything from the crowd screaming “Jumper,” Public Safety shining lights on the crowd surfers, the new songs they previewed for us and even the encore I heard from outside the building made the night a memorable one. Lupe Fiasco may have disappointed us all, but it was nothing a little 90s rock couldn’t fix.

Don’t shoot the messenger on this one, but the Concert Committee has just had a rough year. Even in hindsight, the they have been bringing in some quality big-time performers, given the budge they have. No one warned the committee that Avicii would drown his pancreas in booze or that a hurricane would land in central Pennsylvania. Even Lupe Fiasco seemed like a reliable performer at the time. The committee has been doing a great job, but luck hasn’t been on its side this year. The committee has brought in a variety of genres that everyone can enjoy; they arguably covered three of the biggest genres University students listen to with house music, 90s rock and hip-hop/rap.

Avicii and Lupe Fiasco can now consider themselves “blacklisted” from the University, but not many people can honestly say they weren’t pumped up for both of these concerts. Sometimes the sails are set, but you don’t get any wind. The Concert Committee lacked the wind this year.