Photo By: Derek Anderson [Courtesy: Scan]

I have something very special for you today!

Some of you lucky Wilco fans got a chance to see Jeff Tweedy live at Foellinger almost two years ago. The show was amazing and arguably the best Star Course has put on lately.

The concert was recorded and there just happen to be quite a few copies of it out there. For those of you who do not have it or just feel like listening to Jeff Tweedy as much as I do, I’ve embedded some dream streams! Enjoy!

Spiders (Kidsmoke)

I Am Trying to Break Your Heart

Sunken Treasure

Gun

Theologins

I know this is self-serving, but Star Course now has a blog set up.

We will be posting information about shows, the organization, and its members. Make sure you check on it, as well as our website for our newest events this coming Fall!

Although he hasn’t put out new material in a long time, Ben Folds can still put on a heck of a show. Last night’s Star Course production sold out Foellinger Auditorium!

B. Folds was accompanied by Ben Lee. Mr. Lee entertained the crowd well during some early set difficulties that left him without a guitar feed. I think a lot of people were surprised he was the man behind a lot of hits they have been hearing on the radio (“Catch my Disease” and others).

Mr. Folds brought his grand piano (wow it sucks pushing those up ramps) and some support in the form of drums and bass. The set lasted about an hour and a half, typical of Ben’s shows. The crowd was energized, staying that way long enough to sit outside Foellinger for a glimpse of Ben.

Thank you to everyone who made this a great show!

I really wrote this post just to show off my Ben Folds photo

The month of April is going to be a busy one for concert-goers. There are promising shows at every venue in town (Caribou and Fuck Buttons at Illini Union next Thursday?! Bad Ass). Foellinger Auditorium will play host to two Star Course shows in the coming weeks.

This Sunday the Rockstar: Get a Life! Tour will bring The Used to CU. Free energy drinks for angsty teens? What were they thinking? Might be a good chance for some nostalgia if you have moved on from that period of you life.

Tuesday April 15 is Ben Folds! This show is almost completely sold out so get them tix while you can. This guy breaks piano strings like its his job. Actually, I suppose it is his job.

These shows are brought to you every year by a completely student-run organization. Everyone works tirelessly to create memorable shows like Jeff Tweedy’s visit that had everyone rediscovering Wilco’s music. Next year’s new Junior Managers were just recently chosen! I thought I’d boost their ego’s a bit and let CU know who will be bringing them the best concerts on campus.

We are proud to announce the following as the 2008 / 2009 Star Course Junior Managers:

Ad Design - Garrett Traylor
Ad Media - Maggie Marek
Business Administration - Natalie Sanders
Hospitality - Meagan Havlik & Lauren Blair
Personnel - Erin Gillman
Publicity - Alex Davis & Kurt Erbach
Public Relations - Pat McCaffery & Carolyn Lang
Stage & Production - Brian Houze & Alison Chreis
Ticketing - Sara Pak
Ushering - Jessica Felgenhauer

If you haven’t bought your tickets for Lupe Fiasco @ Foellinger on Sunday, get to it fools. This guy is for rea.

While you are waiting anxiously for his arrival check out Lupe’s newest video of single “Superstar“. Is that the guy from “The Cool” walking dead down the red carpet? Luckily Star Course Hospitality lights don’t flicker like the ones in this video.

For those of you living under three or four rocks, Lupe Fiasco is coming to Foellinger Auditorium on December 2 for the third Star Course produced concert of the semester! He will be kick, pushing around that over-sized ancient relic of a stage undoubtedly surrounded by an entourage of that sweet FNF crew. Tickets are going fast, and you know this is gonna be a COOL show. (sorry, couldn’t resist)

Until the show, check out his excellent new single “Superstar” via Lupe’s Myspace page.

Everclear played a show at the Canopy Club last school year. Tickets were $25. People laughed.

Dave Matthews Band played at Assembly Hall two years ago. Tickets were $40. It was packed.

Ryan Adams played at Foellinger for a Star Course show earlier this month. Tickets were $23. The Auditorium was one third full.

Ticket sales are an absolute crap shoot on this campus. Students are poor and putting on a show is expensive, but if an artist is popular enough the tickets will sell, right? You would think so. Unfortunately things are far from that easy.

Venue managers spend lots of time estimating an artist’s worth, pursuing a show, negotiating contracts, and promoting a show. The most important decisions made are the ones deciding an artist and how to promote them. Factors such as venue size, artist popularity on campus, cost of the artist, and show date all help determine what a reasonable charge for tickets would be. A couple dollars too much and a venue could lose hundreds of ticket purchases. After the show is confirmed a promotions campaign has to get started quickly. Locally, things usually don’t get running until a month or two before the show date. How many people are reached and excited by the artist can make a huge difference in not only ticket sales but the success of the concert.

Students are cheap, flaky, and capricious enough to make this entire process a living nightmare. An occasional trip to Ticketmaster should be enough to remind concert-goers that CU concerts are for the most part service charge, shipping charge, and printing charge free. Instead of indulging a Jimmy John’s fetish three times a week or spending too much money on beerses try putting a few bucks away every week to save up for several concerts a semester. Most of them are a way better experience and a cheaper price than spending two hours getting a contact high at DMB circus shows.

Ever since the internet’s criers and bleeders got a hold of Conor Oberst’s fan base Bright Eyes has been subject to the worst of all possible insults: Emo band. Yes, his vocal chords still quiver like a mid-pubescent 14 year old’s, but there is an endearing nature that comes with such a sound. I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning spawned many eye-liner fanboys while leaving just as many with a bad taste in their mouth. Despite this I still preferred his hair circa 2005 over the current grunge rock thing he’s sporting now. Salon styles aside, 2007’s Cassadaga signaled a re-emergence of a Bright Eyes worth spinning over and over again. While not as surprisingly first-rate as Fevers and Mirrors, this fresh look at favorite Oberst subjects religion, love, and the self are deeply fulfilling. Album flowing metaphors weave their way through warm lyrics and simple chords. Cassadaga commands too much of a listener’s respect to be written off as emo, as does it’s creator.

Conor Oberst will be pretentiously singing you songs on Sunday, October 21 at Foellinger Auditorium. Contact Star Course for tickets and other info.