Little 500 has had a rich tradition for not just amateur athletics, but also for music.\nSince 1960, five years after the first race, a big-name concert for students has been part of the tradition of the "World's Greatest College Weekend." But for many seniors, last year's Little 500 concert featuring hip-hop band The Roots was the first since their freshman year.\nUnion Board is working hard to bring a "big-name event" to IU this April, but some of the same problems that caused the two-year drought are still plaguing the search committee.\nUnion Board President Brad Allen would not give away any names of artists or bands that are potential headliners but said he is hoping for someone everybody would know, like a Snoop Dogg or a John Mayer.\n"Our goal is to bring in a big show," Allen said. "It's been a while since they have brought in a big show. There is a lot involved in bringing in a big-name concert for Little 500."
Last Year's Success and Failure\nLast year, Grammy-Award-winning band The Roots played at the IU Auditorium, but attendance was not what Union Board expected. Although attendance was satisfactory, it wasn't a sellout show as expected and not as financially successful as some of Union Board's other acts that year.\nKeith Johnson, who was Union Board president at the time, said he thought the concert was a success for those who attended.\n"Besides Mike and Joe nights with all my roommates at Bluebird, it was by far the best concert I have seen," he said.\nStill, Johnson said the attendance numbers weren't as high as expected, which he attributes to too much concert competition. Alpha Tau Omega fraternity hosted G-Unit rap artist Young Buck the same night as The Roots' concert, which Johnson said hurt both events. Something Corporate and Naughty by Nature also performed that week. \nWhile four concerts in one week might be great for students, Johnson said it might have hurt attendance.\n"There is no sense in having competing shows with artists of the same genre on the same night," Johnson said. "Doing that again is not properly serving the students' interests. I believe there is a demand for more than one show during Little 5 week, but having two similar artists is pushing it."\nIn the past, groups such as Union Board and the IU Student Association have clashed when it came to competing Little 500 concerts, but Johnson said he doesn't foresee that problem occuring this year. Some fraternities might even work with Union Board to help achieve Allen's goal of bringing a big name to campus.
Continuing Problems for Union Board\nThere have been several institutional problems that Union Board faced in trying to book an artist for Little 500.\nOne of the consistent issues Union Board faces is constant turnover, Allen said. The organization is run by students who are elected every year through public online voting. The terms begin in January, which doesn't give the new administration much time to book an April concert. In \naddition, most of the Union Board staff changes between semesters, which makes matters even more difficult. Many artists have their concert tours planned almost a year in advance, and the short time new Union Board administration has makes it more difficult.\nAlso, April is an awkward time to book big-name concerts, both Allen and Johnson said. Most artists go on tour in the summer or fall and it can be difficult to nail down availability when only a few days will work for Union Board.\nJohnson said his staff made hundreds of phone calls -- just as Union Board had done during the previous two years -- but the difference was simply luck in finding the right artist at the right time.\n"It is so tough to find large name artists that travel around Little 5 time because most are gearing up for summer concerts," Johnson said. "If an artist is not touring at the time you want to have a show, they are very reluctant to perform and costs skyrocket."\nAllen added that most bands aren't interested in traveling for just one show and will only stop if it fits an existing tour schedule.\nSmaller bands that tour more often are easier to book, Johnson said. That is part of the reason they booked The Roots, a band that had toured more than 200 days out of the year. Allen thinks there is risk in having an unproven commodity play at the IU Auditorium. That's why Allen said he is shooting for a name bigger than The \nRoots for 2006.
Plans for the Future\nAllen is looking into several ideas to make sure this year's Little 500 concert is a success.\nOne thing Allen said he wants to do is have a better idea of the Bloomington market. He said that Union Board might have misjudged the market for hip-hop when they booked The Roots for the weekend.\n"(Assessing the market) presents a challenge in itself," he said.\nBy looking at past successes and recent trends, Union Board hopes to pick the right artist. Allen said attracting a big name provides for less of a surprise in the market.\nAnother idea that has been floating around for years is using a different venue than the IU Auditorium. Allen said Union Board would "love to do a concert at Assembly Hall," but admits that isn't easy to do.\nBy using a bigger venue, Allen said he thinks Union Board might be able to attract bigger names, which can be skeptical of smaller venues in a town surrounded by farms.\nThe IU Auditorium can seat 3,500 people, but the Harry Gladstein Fieldhouse can hold about 7,000 and Assembly Hall can seat more than 17,000.\nAllen said he understands the importance of the Little 500 to students, but wants to emphasize all of the other great events Union Board puts on throughout the year. Still, he admits many students might understandably judge Union Board on this one event.\n"If that's all they went to, then it's all they know about us," he said.
