Culture Shock

Rein Dam fcAival

by Kathy Revtyak Shk, ars postp 'culture Shock, lower attendance

W arm, springtime rays of sunshine coupled with a comforting breeze created the inviting atmosphere created the inviting atmosphere for the Culture Shock WIUS planners had hoped for. Unfortunately, the 70 degree temperatures and sunny skies left town Friday afternoon leaving a cool and wet Saturday for the outdoor concert. "I just can't get over this horrible weather," said freshman Mark Panning, a member of WIUS's Special Events Committee. "We met at 7:30 this morning to decide what to do with the concert in light of all of the rain we've had today. The downpours just drenched Dunn Meadow." The rain responsible for soaking Dunn Meadow the morning of April 13 forced planners to move the start of the musical festival from the scheduled 11:30 a.m. time to 1 p.m. "We were actually supposed to start setting up at eight this morning, but because of all of the mud here, we couldn't even set up the two stages until nearly eleven," Panning said. Due to logistical difficulties, the Special Events Committee decided to scrap the first two bands from each stage. Ginger Kit and Chamberlain did not perform on the soft stage reserved for light music, and Japanize Elephants and Mystery Guest were not able to perform their harder rock on the loud stage. But the remaining 12 bands did perform on schedule at hour-long intervals. "Earlier, I was so disappointed that we couldn't have all of the scheduled bands perform. I knew that would drastically cut our attendance and perhaps reduce it for the rest of the day, too," said senior Thad Jayn, Assistant Programs Manager for WIUS. Although Dunn Meadow was nearly empty until 2 p.m., attendance improved by 3 p.m. Jayn and other organizers estimated the attendance nearly equalled that of last year's festival, about 7,000 to 10,000. "People finally started showing up," Jayn said. "Things really did come together after all." Yet the attendance of vendors who set up booths around Dunn Meadow and solicited the patronage of Culture Shock attendees was clearly down. Twenty-five groups were expected to show up, but seven tables were vacant. Senior Kristina Garza, who set up a booth selling tiedyed shirts and hemp necklaces with seniors Martha and Greg Holtz, said, "The weather really is kind of a bummer. If it had been like yesterday, everything would mostly be gone by now. But because it is so cold and damp, people just aren't coming out."

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Twirling to the sounds of Homunculus, junior Chris Fenwick dances in front of the loud stage at Culture Shock. Fenwick was one of the few thousand students who came out to listen to the 12 bands which performed the afternoon of April 13 despite earlier rain showers. Photo by Matt Stone.

Matt Stone Greg Holtz agreed. "The tie-dye usually catches a lot of people's eyes. It's usually easy for us to get rid of this stuff quickly, but not today." Nonetheless, many community and campus organizations were well represented. Student Environmental Action Coalition, OUT and the Young Socialists were a few of the campus organizations distributing information, while local shops like Bloomingfoods, GT Bikes and the By Hand Gallery sold their goods. "Even though Culture Shock is basically the same every year, I really enjoy coming to look around at all of the stuff at the booths. There are some pretty interesting things that people bring to the event I guess that is just part of all of the diversity," sophomore Anjana Patel said. Others did not wander around to look at the booths, but instead relaxed in the Meadow, chatting with friends and listening to the music. Some tossed frisbees while others played soccer or with hackey-sacks. "I'm just really impressed," sophomore Angie Boddy said. "I've never been to an event like this, but I really like the diversity of people and things to do." "Believe it or not, these bands are really good. I just got done listening to Homunculus, and they're fantastic. They have quite a beat it's fun to dance to," Boddy said. Panning agreed that Homunculus, a local band composed of four students, was one of the most popular performers. "They just work well with the crowd. They have a great style and are creative, and people really like that." Panning also added that he thought all of the bands that participated were exceptionally talented. "We worked really hard to bring in the best and work them around so that their talent would be heard and appreciated," he said. "I think we were successful with this Culture Shock," Panning said. "We managed to showcase all of Bloomington's best ... despite all of this rain."

More than an interested bystander, Tonia Matthews watches her son, a member of the band Dragstrip, perform on one of the sound stages at Culture Shock. The performances drew a crowd of both students and Bloomington residents.