THE UNIVERSITY was flooded with thousands of guests from near and far for the Dave Mathews Band concert last weekend. This performance was one of the biggest, if not the largest event ever held at the University. The combined University and Charlottesville staff effectively handled with a great degree of finesse what many had thought to be a nightmarish logistics situation. Ultimately, the concert turned out to be a great success. Now that the University has proven capable of hosting stadium-size events other than football games, the University should seriously consider using Scott Stadium as a regular musical venue.
The University is an important cultural center. From hosting noted speakers of various fields, to musical events at Old Cabell Hall, University Hall, Memorial Gym and the McIntire Amphitheatre, the University has shown that it is prepared to become a notable venue on the calendars of many orators and performers.
Although all the previously mentioned University performance halls are fine spots for concerts, they are of comparable size to concert halls found in many towns and cities around the nation. There are far fewer existing arenas of the size necessary to accommodate performers such as Dave Mathews Band, who are capable of drawing crowds by the thousands. The recently renovated Scott Stadium is one of these show grounds.
According to Louise Dudley, the assistant vice president for University relations, the stadium had not been used previously for concerts because the University had not been approached with a concert offer. Dave Matthews Band had asked to play at Scott Stadium in 1998 but was turned down because the stadium was under construction.
With the exception of the three to four months of football season, Scott Stadium stands as a silent monolithic symbol of fundraising success. Even though the football season is profitable for the University, not counting the cold months of the year, there are approximately five months where the stadium is not used. These months, in particular April and the end of March when students are still in class, could be used to generate money for the University.
Concerts on the stadium scale are known for drawing in millions of dollars of revenue. The recent concert held at Scott Stadium proved that it is more than capable of withstanding the demands of an arena show. Due to the charitable nature of the Dave Matthews Band concert, profit was not a main concern for the University, although it did gross revenue in the form of $70,000 in stadium rental fees, as well as money for concessions and 20 percent of net merchandise sales.
Although there are many differences between staging a concert and a football game, such as different demographics, different performance hours and possibly larger crowds, the two are not so different in scope. There are similar traffic problems and numerous other annoyances related to the large influx of people for both events. The University Grounds and its surroundings have long had mass transit plans to deal with the stadium crowds during approximately six home football games each year. Since Charlottesville and the University already deal with stadium events a few dates out of the year, it would not be out of the question for a few more of those dates to be added on to the calendar. By just having one or two profit oriented stadium concerts a year, the University probably would be able to draw in a few million more dollars of much needed revenue.
The attention such events would attract also would benefit the University. By listing the University as a stop for a popular performer with a large fan base, the University has the opportunity to get its name out to many new people. Having concerts also provides more opportunities for alumni to re-visit the University, which could improve both alumni relations and alumni donations. In addition, hosting concerts could act as a recruiting factor for the University. Fans who are potential students or students' parents who had not previously considered the University would be exposed to Grounds and could become interested in applying to the University. Not to mention that for accepted students, knowing that the University has a popular concert venue may be an additional reason pushing them toward coming to the University.
The University has not yet made a decision concerning the prospects of holding future concerts at the stadium. It is still considering its options.
Stadium-sized concerts also would benefit the town of Charlottesville. Aside from the annoyances of large masses and traffic congestion, concert crowds draw in a great deal of money in the hotel and restaurant sectors. Every concert would have the possibility of being a daylong economic boom for Charlottesville residents.
As it stands now, Scott Stadium is a sleeping giant. Used only six times a year, the stadium has the potential to attract significant revenue and increase the University's popularity if it is used more often.
(Alex Rosemblat is a Cavalier Daily viewpoint writer.)
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