Jurassic 5 to take the stage for April concert

Author: Thomas C. Drescher

The Middlebury College Activities Board (MCAB) recently confirmed that it has booked Los Angeles-based hip-hop group Jurassic 5 as the featured act for this year's spring concert, scheduled for Saturday, April 29 in Kenyon Arena. MCAB is also currently working to a secure another big-name artist/group in an effort to transform the annual event into an unprecedented double bill show.

"I think Jurassic 5 is one of the more prominent acts we've brought to Middlebury in recent years," said MCAB President David Jackson '06. "We looked at a variety of artists and genres, and after examining the available talent we felt that Jurassic 5 would be the most appealing choice to the entire student body."

Jackson said that the e-mail surveys sent out periodically to solicit student body input regarding concert possibilities were a new development this year, and that they factored prominently in MCAB's decision to invite Jurassic 5. "The music industry is a difficult business to predict," Jackson noted, "but we did our best to allocate MCAB's funds and efforts toward the choices made clear by the student body. [Students] should know that the preferences and information they provided were appreciated and invaluable, and by no means were they ignored - the selection of Jurassic 5 was no mistake."

"The surveys were really invaluable tools in getting some idea of where the student body stands on concerts," added MCAB Concert Committee Chair Caroline Brewer '06. "We used the results to gauge what kinds of acts we should be focusing on to please the campus, and we specifically tried to acquire acts that reflected the survey results."

"Unfortunately...certain bands/groups, or combinations thereof, were either unwilling or unavailable to come to campus once we made offers directly following the survey, despite extensive preliminary research," lamented Jackson.

Brewer said MCAB policy prevents her from disclosing the cost of the act, which is covered by the organization's annual budget. She was also unable to reveal the identities of other spring concert candidates. Neither Brewer nor Jackson was willing to comment on the particulars of MCAB's quest to secure an opening act, but Brewer did say a decision will be finalized in the coming weeks.

Jackson observed that other New England colleges have struggled to track down big-name artists this year, and in some cases have "thrown in the towel" altogether and abandoned spring concert plans. "The fact that we were able to land Jurassic 5 and another strong act - yet to be named - in the midst of such a difficult concert season is a testament to MCAB's perseverance and hard work," Jackson said, adding that Brewer and the Concert Committee in particular deserve a great deal of credit for their efforts in pursuing and booking an act as prominent as Jurassic 5.

The six-piece hip-hop ensemble - comprised of rappers Chali 2na, Akil, Zaakir and Marc 7even and DJs Nu-Mark and Cut Chemist - was formed in 1993 when members of the Rebels of Rhythm and Unity Committee joined forces to become Jurassic 5. In 1995, a spontaneously-crafted and well-received single, "Unified Rebelution," earned the nascent crew much praise and a solid fan base. Their first independent recording effort, a self-titled EP, was initially released in 1997 and then revamped for re-release one year later as the group's first full-length album, Jurassic 5 LP. Their 1999 Interscope release, Quality Control, garnered international acclaim, and was followed by 2002's equally-successful Power in Numbers. Their highly-anticipated third major label album is scheduled for release in June 2006.

The group's sound is rooted in Los Angeles' underground hip-hop movement of the early 1990s. During this time, aspiring MCs and DJs flocked to South Central L.A.'s old jazz district for the opportunity to showcase their abilities at popular venues such as The Good Life. This innovative hip-hop crucible encouraged Jurassic 5 to cultivate a refreshing musical identity characterized by a no-frills old-school style, harmonizing choruses, a tag-team delivery and lyrical content indicative of a positive social agenda. The group also has an affinity for touring outside of typical hip-hop circles, having performed at Lollapalooza 2003, Warped Tour 2000 events and the Bonnaroo Music Festival, among others.

Tickets for the show will go on sale two weeks prior to the concert.