Editorial: Plain White T’s concert scrubbed

Hundreds of students lined up outside the Student Recreation Center (SRC) yesterday to see Plain White T’s, the band headlining the Student Entertainment Council (SEC) Spring Concert. Some waited over an hour and a half to even get into the SRC, and when they were let in, they were told that Plain White T’s would not be playing because of lead singer Tom Higgenson’s illness.

The cancellation was, of course, no fault of the SEC, which sponsored the event. The blame lies with the band. The lead singer should have realized earlier that he was getting sick and was not up to singing. Waiting to tell the students after they were already in the SRC seems just like a push to get them to stay for the lesser-known opening acts. However, many students were obviously upset, and hundreds left after hearing the news. Plain White T’s let down the students on campus, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the band ends up with fewer fans. The band also let down its openers — bands with few fans depend on shows with bigger names to build their fan base.

Since the band called off its performance at the very last minute, it’s a good thing SEC didn’t pay it before the concert started.

The weekly editorial expresses the majority opinion of The Rider News editorial board and is written by the opinion editor, Nadine Tester.