There we sat in Suite 1111 of the Student Center six months ago.
We, the Fall 2014 Plainsman staff, were mainly confused.
Our normal office routine of teaching ourselves to read by watching FOX News was interrupted by two questions, "Who are Eric Hutchinson and Gloriana?" and "Why are they playing at Auburn University?"
We realized it didn't matter who they were. If we had to ask, they weren't big enough. The University Program Council had to do a better job at getting headliners.
As a result, we wrote an editorial, "'Are you not entertained?' No, we aren't."
But, was it pretentious of us to demand better bands to perform at Auburn? Well, we are going to throw some names at you. See if they sound familiar.
The Rolling Stones, Tina Turner, The Allman Brothers Band, Issac Hayes, Santana, Elton John, Elvis Presley, The Beach Boys, The Doobie Brothers, Bruce Springsteen, The Eagles, Charlie Daniels Band and R.E.M.
Do you know what they all have in common? They all performed at Auburn University.
We wanted bands we actually care to see; bands that get us excited. Excitement that can only be felt from seeing your favorite artists in the flesh. From feeling the first wave of sound from the amps crash into you. The bliss of hearing the first few notes of your favorite song. The sadness of it ending. These are all things we expect from a concert.
And nothing against Train, soul sister, but we would have been more excited to see them a decade ago.
All past travesties aside, UPC has turned it around by communicating via social media. Or maybe they just turned on a radio.
The Avett Brothers and B.o.B are as prominent in today's music scene as The Allman Brothers Band was in the 70s. We do not doubt the Auburn Arena will be filled with real fans, not just a bunch of students procrastinating their coursework on a Thursday night.
Seeing these big headlining bands will give students' minds the break they need near the end of the semester. It's clear UPC is trying to do this with every event they throw.
So what if the events are generally less than lackluster?
These are fellow students putting on events to help entertain their fellow students. If that isn't admirable enough for you, you can stop reading.
That said, we are still encouraging UPC to continue to make progress. We want to continue to see amazing artists like those who preformed here in the 70s.
If we could get Elton John to perform back in 1973, we see no reason we can't get headliners like The Black Keys or Drake to perform here now.
Keep the greats such as The Rolling Stones and Elvis Presley in your heads, UPC, and aim high.
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