“Ben Folds is Coming, Ben Folds is Coming!”

Is being said by two or three people around campus. Since the student organization MUSIC Matters released the artist for their annual charity concert, I have only encountered a few students who have been overwhelmingly excited about the choice. The truth is, most folks forgot Ben Folds was even making music when they graduated high school, and the artist choice came as a bit of a surprise. Ben Folds last released an album in 2008, which makes him slightly outdated on a college campus.

However, all of that being said, the concert looks extremely promising. Above all, MUSIC Matters’ principal goal is to raise money for a different cause each year; the 2013 concert will create a needs-based scholarship for accepted high school students to come to Michigan. This alone is praiseworthy, and an excellent use of music and school resources. Furthermore, the concert will be at Hill Auditorium, which will be fairly suitable for Ben-Folds type music. Last year, MSUIC Matters presented their first concert by bringing in J Cole at Hill Auditorium. As I commented on last year around this time, (see here: http://arts.umich.edu/ink/2012/04/08/2456/) Hill Auditorium is possibly the worst venue for a Hip Hop concert, and this severely restricted the level of enjoyment. For a more folk-acoustic type show, comfortable seats and a beautiful theater might be more appropriate.

The concert is April 11; if you aren’t doing anything I recommend checking out the show. The cheapest tickets are $20, and the money goes to an amazing cause. Just think of it as donating the money to an incredible scholarship fund, and then getting to see Ben Folds in return. What could be better than that?