Underground hip-hop act Jurassic 5 will perform Nov. 7 at Northwestern’s Evanston Campus, according to a posting on the concert Web site Pollstar.com and the band’s official site.
Neither A&O Productions nor the Campus Activities Office on Tuesday would confirm the band would be coming.
Jeremy Wingerter, assistant director of Campus Activities, said he could not acknowledge a fall concert yet, but the contract for a band could be signed in the next day or two.
“As of now there is no concert,” said Wingerter, adding it is possible both the band or NU could pull out of the deal.
Jurassic 5 also is playing an 18-and-over show at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago on Nov. 8, the night following the scheduled concert at NU.
A&O Chairman Jonathan Berman would only say Tuesday that A&O is trying to bring two Fall Quarter concerts to campus.
“We’re looking at two acts that appeal to different groups of college students,” said Berman, a Weinberg senior.
Berman added that A&O is looking to hold both fall concerts in Patten Gym, a venue he said A&O would have no problem selling out.
Jurassic 5 is touring in support of its sophomore album, “Power in Numbers.” The Los Angeles-based band of four emcees and two deejays has developed a strong following in the same vein as the Roots. Jurassic 5 is known for giving energetic live shows and was part of this summer’s Smokin’ Grooves Tour, which was headlined by Outkast, Lauryn Hill and the Roots.
A&O would like to do more than two events in the fall, Berman said, but limited funding restricts the group to two small concerts during Fall Quarter. The group also is trying to attract an early Winter Quarter comedian but cannot release the details of the event, he said.
A&O worked this summer with Jam Productions, which helped bring Bob Dylan to campus in 2000, to bring Counting Crows for a fall concert. But without a large enough on-campus venue, the band would not commit and instead chose to play at the University of Illinois at Chicago Pavilion, Berman said.
“Everything was set except the agent’s signature,” Berman said. “The stage (at Welsh-Ryan Arena) was not big enough to suit their needs.
“It was such a disappointment for us. We would have loved to bring them to campus.”
Berman said the lack of large venues has caused A&O to consider moving more of its concerts off campus.
“It’s a big limit for us,” he said. “One plus is that we are on the North Shore, and that appeals to acts like Counting Crows and Bob Dylan. At the same time, there are comparable venues in Chicago with more seating.”
A&O follows a rule set by Campus Activities not to publicize events before they are contracted, Berman said. Also, he said, not revealing an act until it is certain prevents students from being misled. This was a problem when a highly publicized concert by rapper Snoop Dogg fell through because of security concerns.
One way the group gets around its inability to advertise in advance is by making teaser posters, as they did for the A&O Ball during Spring Quarter, Berman said.
A&O received criticism in the 2001-02 academic year for a shortfall in campus concerts. Its largest concert was the A&O Ball, which featured twang rockers Wilco and sullen singer-songwriter Elliot Smith. Smith’s opening performance was booed after he stumbled through his songs, but Wilco’s follow-up was widely praised.
Students such as Medill sophomore Ryan Haase were optimistic about Jurassic 5 and the prospect of two Fall Quarter concerts from A&O — “if there are good bands,” Haase said.
“They’re no (Red Hot) Chili Peppers; they’re no Weezer,” Haase said of Jurassic 5. “But it’s better than Elliot Smith coming again.”
