Rapper Common and other acts entertained more than 1,000 attendees at the Social Planning and Events Committee to Represent Undergraduate Minorities' concert last Friday.
"It was amazing. Common was a great stage performer," said Michael Fileti, a College freshman.
The show -- which also featured rap duo Kidz in the Hall and singers Keyshia Cole and Jaguar Wright -- was held at the Electric Factory, located at 421 N. 7th St.
The concert had about four times as many attendees as SPEC's Spring Fling show, which featured Sonic Youth and attracted between 250 and 300 students. The SPEC-TRUM concert, however, was open to the public, while only Penn students were allowed to buy tickets to Sonic Youth.
SPEC-TRUM organizers reported selling about 300 $15 tickets to Penn students, and the Electric Factory press office said it sold 656 $25 tickets to the Philadelphia community. In addition, 175 free tickets were given to SPEC-TRUM organizers and the bands.
"One of the nice things about selling outside the Penn community is that we charge more for those tickets, so we can charge less for Penn students," SPEC Executive Board President and College senior Darryl Wooten said.
Tickets to Sonic Youth cost $20 in comparison.
This was the second year that organizers have held the concert off campus, and SPEC-TRUM co-Director Ahmed Whitt said it "worked out well. Mostly because of the standing room for that concert, the Electric Factory was a better fit than the venues on campus."
The concert was not as well-attended as last year's, which was headlined by Kanye West. Wooten said the decreased attendance was due to the concert not being held on the same weekend as the Penn Relays, as well as this year's bands' lesser notoriety compared to West.
The lower attendance also hurt SPEC-TRUM's profits.
The organization received $40,000 from the Undergraduate Assembly to direct toward talent, security and other concert costs. It had planned on $15,000 in revenue from ticket sales, but Whitt reported that sales were about $1,000 less than expected. SPEC Concerts, on the other hand, spent $107,000 and earned $10,000 from ticket sales.
Last year, the SPEC-TRUM concert exceeded its projected revenue thanks to sold-out attendance.
The Sonic Youth and Common concerts also differed in their methods of gathering input on bands.
While SPEC Concerts held public brainstorming sessions, SPEC-TRUM surveyed students online to find out what acts were popular with students, which Whitt noted may "be effective for [SPEC Concerts] as well."
In years past, the concert was traditionally held in coordination with the Penn Relays, which are being held this weekend. This year, organizers decided to opt for an earlier weekend, thereby avoiding a conflict with final exams.
"According to the calendar next year, it might once again be in our favor to connect with the Penn Relays," Whitt said.
