If you haven't been living under a rock, you're probably pretty excited about tomorrow's Spring Fling. According to a recent (albeit non-scientific) poll on the Daily's Web site, however, only 42 percent of respondents are "excited about the (lineup)" while the remaining 58 percent are either unhappy with or unfamiliar with T.I., Lupe Fiasco and Spoon.
Rest assured, though this lineup has its pros and cons (as always), only the most narrow-minded will leave the President's Lawn without finding at least one set enjoyable.
Being unfamiliar with these acts, at least on paper, seems unusual. Perhaps it's the college bubble that we live in, but the fact that we got both a Grammy nominee for best Rap Album, Rap Song and Rap Solo Performance (Lupe), as well as the Grammy winner of that last category (T.I.), is impressive. Regardless of your impressions of these two acts, Tufts is very fortunate to host such high profile artists.
For those of you who are familiar with both Lupe and T.I., though, odds are you have a strong preference one way or the other. In fact, the term "rap" is far too broad to accurately describe both of these acts. While Lupe cites Nas as his primary inspiration and has recorded the same sort of intelligent, positive lyrics with relatively stripped down beats, T.I. revels in Ludacris-esque, overproduced club bangers with nothing new to say. Even on the most basic level, Lupe is a practicing Muslim and teetotaler, while T.I. goes along with the mainstream in his worship of money, "rims" and "hos."
Comparing their lyrics, it seems that the two artists are ideologically at odds. In one of Lupe's more blunt songs, "Hurt Me Soul" (from 2006's "Food and Liquor") he explains that he "...Used to hate hip hop/ Because the women degraded." One need not look farther than the Spring Fling headliner to find the ever-prevalent degradation that he mentioned. In his best known hit single, "What You Know," T.I. rhymes "Ya b-tches get low/ Because I get dough/ So what? I'm rich ho." Let's hope T.I.'s not offended when heisn't invited for dinner at the Women's Center.
So, just in case there is an on-stage brawl or some student protests, you've been warned. The stylistic split is not necessarily a bad thing, though. For people who spend time at dance clubs or the party scene and prefer their hip-hop easy to swallow (for this style, alcohol helps), T.I. is like Elvis. For those who prefer old school, thoughtful, political, or basically any other type of rap Lupe is one of the hottest acts around.
Of course, it wouldn't be Spring Fling without a mixture of rap and rock, and Spoon seems like a safe choice. Although some might complain that, like Guster, they are too mellow to be playing Spring Fling, T.I. is sure to arrive with enough energy for the whole afternoon. Spoon's catchiest song, the falsetto anthem "I Turn My Camera On," from their latest album, 2005's "Gimme Fiction," has been wildly successful by indie standards. And, if they play it at least twice as fast, they might sound like The Killers. Their set should be fun, as they are one of those bands whose choruses are often twice as long as the verses, making them a perfect fit for a mostly distracted crowd.
While they might have the slot that attracts the least attention at Spring Fling, Oxford Collapse, who will be playing during set changes, has garnered highly complimentary reviews from critics for their 2006 album "Remember the Night Parties." The band broke out of Brooklyn in the early 2000s and has recently been signed to mother of all indie labels, Sub Pop.
Finally, let's not forget about the opener. Following last year's appearance by Tufts celebrities, Melodesiac, Ezra Furman and the Harpoons will surely put on a great show. Their music can be fun, charming and heartwarming, and with a sound that's hard to put your finger on (vocally, they might at times resemble the Violent Femmes, but that's the closest you can get), and Furman's eccentric, engaging form of storytelling has helped earn the band a status as one of Tufts' treasures. If they just aren't famous enough for you, check them out in a couple years because their recent signing to Minty Fresh Records might be their gateway to national recognition.
If you're not an early riser, you may need to make Saturday an exception (or stay up all night) and get your pre-game on in time to catch the show's early start at noon in order to get the full picture of this stylistically diverse bunch of acts. Set your alarms as if you were stupid enough to take a morning class, leave your flasks at home (there might be metal detectors!), and get ready for the craziest Saturday afternoon since "free burrito day" at Boloco.
