Tunes, Oz make U. like home

Even with trips and music, "There's No Place Like Penn' got mixed reviews. and Maureen Tkacik Bare feet danced, saxophones blared and the warm night air seemed to come alive over the lower Quadrangle Friday as an evening of the Disco Biscuits and Fathead, the second event in the "No Place like Penn" series, got underway. Reflecting the evening's care-free spirit, the bands reeled out a melange of hip-hop, jazz and rock. "Disco Biscuits is classical jam band, after the likes of Phish," Wharton sophomore Dave Petrozzi said, explaining the various musical fusions, while "Fathead's combination of jazz and rap proved danceable." "They waged war and both the bands and the audience emerged as the winners," he said. Perhaps it was differences in musical taste that accounted for an audience that hovered below 50 people. Only a smattering of hard-core dancers by the stage and a few clusters lounging on the green stayed the length of the concert. But this explanation was not sufficient for some audience members. "I can't understand why people wouldn't show up to see a free concert of two really good bands," College sophomore Alyssa Guglielmo said. "It would have made the atmosphere so much better." Disco Biscuits lead guitarist Jon "The Barber" Gutwillig said his band didn't mind. "I went to this school. Its just pretty cool to play here," he said. In contrast to the Quad event's sparse attendance, both weekend events boasting free food on College Green -- the "drive-in" showing of The Wizard of Oz played to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon album and the post-Penn-Dartmouth football game "grill 'n' chill" -- drew an estimated 2,000 students apiece, according to Committee for Tangible Change Chairperson Samara Barend, a College junior. And upwards of 200 seniors turned up for yesterday's South Street Strut -- the most successful of the four "Class Actions." The local, none-too-exhausting pilgrimage from Downey's Pub to Fat Tuesday's seemed the most appropriate for yesterday's rudely awakening early winter chills. Other classes trekked farther distances -- the junior class, to Dorney Park; the sophomore class, to Great Adventure and the freshmen to Ocean City, N.J. Jovial seniors praised the Strut -- which entitled them to half-price margaritas and $1 drafts. "It was great exposure to all the bars here? I probably would've been too lazy to go out and explore them myself," said one anonymous senior. "We should do this every month." With steadfast senior style, class president Andy Klein -- who organized the Strut -- said he thought "every week" would be preferable, and noted that it was the most successful Sunday movement by a long shot. The other classes' out-of-state exoduses were on par with the Disco Biscuits/Fathead concert, luring less than 50 followers each. "I had a great time but it would have been better if it had been more of a class activity," said College sophomore Maris Kreizman, noting the 17 lone souls on the Great Adventure bus. This is the first year the Committee for Tangible Change has centered a weekend of events around the first football game, and Barend said they hope to start a tradition. "It can only expand from here," she said, adding that the committee also hopes to sponsor a winter festival of sorts, based upon the "free cider and cookies" stand which was showcased last year on Locust Walk.