Brokers and Brokerage

Luther Lite

Date 2/22/2001 12:00 AM | Topic: Opinion

With warm weather creeping in slowly and the light at the end of the education tunnel getting brighter, I'm beginning to look back wistfully at my time here and the things I'll miss.

Now, before you start breaking out the tissues, I'm talking mainly about the little perks of college, not the friendships and memories and all that mushy stuff. I'm not at that point yet.

I'm talking about stuff like getting my bathroom cleaned on a semi-regular basis, being able to go days on end without driving a car, and a cafeteria where, despite students' personal tastes, the food is plentiful and mostly served warm.

Recently, I've added another student perk to that list: Concerts.

I'm strictly a music fan, not a musician, and the Ben Harper concert on Sunday reaffirmed my respect for live music.

When I add up what I've paid in annual student activity fees, it seems like an extraordinary deal to see these groups up front in a close and intimate setting for so cheap.

Sure, you could argue that we've already paid for our concerts, but there's something very cool about having the first crack at tickets without worrying about money.

Back in my high school days, when money was much more plentiful, concerts were a regular part of my routine. I averaged about one every month. Somehow I didn't mind forking over forty bucks to see R.E.M. at the Target Center, not when I had regular employment and few expenses.

I can't say I go to many of the orchestra, theatre, and jazz performances that SAC brings in, it's just not my bag. But I can appreciate that these are big-time world renowned things coming to a little town in Iowa and that it means a lot to the community.

Just think, we've had the Indigo Girls, Live, Soul Coughing, Ben Harper, and let's not forget Dave Matthews.

I have friends at schools three times the size of Luther who cannot believe we're able to get this kind of stuff here.

Whether students are familiar with these groups or not, I hope they understand the importance of being able to see performers who typically play to arena-sized audiences worldwide and are willing to open their minds to new sounds and styles.

I read in an interview somewhere, long ago, where a musician said that any time music is played live, to an audience, no matter what the style or quality may be, it's a beautiful thing. It is a fleeting, temporary communication between performer and audience that will never be repeated.

When I finally leave Decorah for wherever life takes me, how will I feed my appetite for live music? Long lines, greedy ticket services, and grossly inflated prices, that's how.

And when I sit in my $50 nosebleed seat struggling to hear the music, I'll be looking back fondly on crowded gymnasiums, my aching legs after concerts, and trying to score extra tickets for out-of-town friends.

I hope you do too.

--

Sam Peterson
Chips Cartoonist

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