Issue date: 2/28/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Courtesy Jordan Fabian Singer-songwriter Ben Folds performs at the Cornell Slope Day concert last year. The musician will headline SPEC's Spring Fling concert on April 13.

Already known for "Rockin' the Suburbs," Ben Folds will be rockin' Penn's campus this April.

Folds will be this year's Spring Fling headline performer, Social Planning and Events Committee officials confirmed yesterday.

Folds, a singer-songwriter, announced on his Myspace.com Web site that he will be playing at Wynn Commons on April 13, the first day of Fling.

This announcement came prior to the planned official one from SPEC, which was scheduled for sometime after Spring Break.

Though Folds signed a contract to play during Fling in January, Wharton and Engineering senior Matt Mizrahi, co-chairman of the SPEC Concerts Committee, said that releasing the name of the performer closer to the date of the concert is optimal to "keep the hype alive so that people don't forget."

Mizrahi would not say how much it cost to get Folds to play at Spring Fling.

However, according to the Undergraduate Assembly budget, last year, SPEC Spring Fling requested $120,000 in funding for this year's concert and was ultimately allocated $93,500.

Folds was listed as one of the most-requested Fling performers in a SPEC-sponsored student survey that was done in October. Mizrahi said he could not name other popular candidates for the performance.

In anticipation of a turnout similar to that at last year's O.A.R. Spring Fling concert, SPEC looked to increase the capacity for this year's performance, said College senior and SPEC concerts co-chairwoman Kellyn Goler.

Although the capacity of this year's concert was raised from 2,500 to 3,000, Mizrahi said he still anticipates the concert to sell out again.

And student feedback, direct and indirect, confirms SPEC's expectations that students will be happy with this decision.

In addition to the survey, SPEC attempted to gauge student interest on Facebook by searching the name "Ben Folds" to see if students had him listed on their profiles as a musical interest. The name yielded over 700 students who did just that.

Folds's music also has a high number of downloads on Ruckus, the University's free music service, said Mizrahi, who added that "it is pretty clear that Ben Folds is a favorite on campus."

Engineering junior Marc Hassan likewise said that the choice of Folds is "definitely better" than past performers.

College freshman Rachel Squire said she is excited about the "energetic" Folds coming, adding that she is "obsessed with him."

Tickets for the concert will go on sale on March 26 on Locust Walk. The first 500 tickets will cost $20. After that, they will cost $25, and $30 on the day of the concert.

Eef Barzelay, the singer-songwriter for Clem Snide, an alt-country indie rock group, will open for Folds.

Folds, whose performances are known for his live cover of rapper Dr. Dre's song, "Bitches ain't Shit," will be playing piano, supported by a bassist and a drummer.

Folds headlined the Spring Fling concert in 2000 as frontman of the group Ben Folds Five, along with Philadelphia-based rap and R&B group The Roots.

Representatives for Folds were unavailable for comment.

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