 | This article currently links to a large number of disambiguation pages (or back to itself). (October 2012) |
 | |
| Formation | 1971 |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Website | http://www.cornell-concert.com |
Cornell Concert Commission (CCC), founded in the fall of 1971, [1] is a student organization at Cornell University. The club’s primary function is to select artists to bring to Cornell and promote and produce the shows once the artist has been confirmed. CCC has a campus reach unparalleled by most student organizations, with a membership consistently exceeding 200 and concert attendance coming out to over 46,429 over the course of the three years leading up to CCC’s most recent compilation of statistics. [1] This count does not include the free shows CCC puts on at the start of each academic year, which attract tens of thousands of attendees during the university’s “Welcome Weekend”. [2] Over its 40-year history, CCC has booked and produced over 261 concerts for the Cornell community, [3] attracting prominent and diverse artists including Aretha Franklin, The Grateful Dead, The Notorious B.I.G., Bob Dylan, and many more (see below).
History
editCornell Concert Commission was established in the Fall of 1971 by a group of undergraduate students who wanted to bring popular and nationally recognized musical acts to perform on Cornell University’s campus. [1] For a majority of the clubs history, Concert Commission shows have taken place exclusively in Barton Hall and Bailey Hall, with the exception of the annual “Welcome Week” free concert, which takes place on the Arts Quad at the start of every academic year. [2] CCC has not been able to hold concerts on Libe Slope for several decades because. Similarly, though it would accommodate more attendees than Bailey or Barton, Schoelkopf field has not been used for a concert since 1972, when a riot broke out in the stadium due to the last-minute cancellation of a Deep Purple concert. [4] Cornell Concert Commission is best known for single-handedly booking, orchestrating and sponsoring the historic Grateful Dead at Barton Hall performance in the spring of 1977.
Grateful Dead Concert of 1977
editCornell Concert Commission has funded and produced three Grateful Dead concerts over the length of the club’s history (1977, 1980, 1981), one of which has made it’s way into rock & roll history. [5]
The Grateful Dead’s May 8th, 1977 performance at Barton Hall (known simply as “Barton Hall ‘77” or “Cornell ‘77 to hardcore fans)[6] is widely heralded as the greatest Grateful Dead show of all time. [7] In a 2009 poll conducted by the New York Times, the event at Barton Hall beat out three other celebrated contenders by more than double the votes to re-establish it’s rank as the best Grateful Dead concert in the band's history. [8]
The audience and soundboard recorded tapes that came about as a result of this concert are considered by many to be the best live performance recording of the band in existence. [7][9]
This legendary concert has become such an integral part of Cornell’s and Ithaca’s history, that in honor of the performance’s 30th Anniversary, then mayor of Ithaca, Carolyn Peterson, declared May 8th, 2007 Grateful Dead Day. [10] The concert was fully booked, sponsored and produced by the Cornell Concert Commission, and remains one of the organizations crowning achievements throughout it's history.
Grateful Dead at Barton Hall (1977) Set List
editSet 1
edit- New Minglewood Blues
- Loser
- El Paso
- They Love Each Other
- Jack Straw
- Deal
- Lazy Lightnin'
- Supplication
- Brown-Eyed Women
- Mama Tried
- Row Jimmy
- Dancin' In The Streets
Set 2
edit- Scarlet Begonias
- Fire On The Mountain
- Estimated Prophet
- St. Stephen
- Not Fade Away
- St. Stephen
- Morning Dew
Encore
edit- One More Saturday Night
Return to Barton Hall
editOn February 14th, 2010, Phil Lesh and Bob Weir, the two remaining, original members of the Grateful Dead, brought their current band Furthur to rock Barton Hall once again for a crowd of nearly 5,000 people. [5] In attendance were Deadheads young and old, and even some Cornell alumni who had been present at the now famous 1977 Grateful Dead concert in Barton Hall. Furthur performed a set list that drew upon and paid tribute to some of the Grateful Dead’s finest work. [11]
Club Membership
editThe club consists of General Body Members and the Executive Board. The executive board has six members (Executive Director, Administrative Director, Finance Director, Promotions Director, Selections Director, and Production Director), each of whom is in charge of a different aspect of the club's functioning and concert production on day of show (D.O.S.). In order to become a general body member, a student must attend three consecutive meetings, after which point he or she must maintain his or her membership by not missing more than two consecutive meetings. Certain privileges come with being a general body member, such as being able to vote in selections surveys, being able to work the concerts, and being able to vote for executive board members. [1] [12]
Concert Production
editCornell concert commission puts on the show from initial selection to disassembling the stage. Around 80 student members of CCC work on a volunteer basis to produce each show, from putting together the stage to getting the performer a specific set of groceries. To increase day-of-show efficiency and accommodate different students’ interests, full members of CCC will submit their preferences to be placed on any one of the five crews On day of show for an evening concert, CCC members placed on full day crews will arrive anywhere from 6am to 8am (depending on the concert), and half day crews will arrive between 4:30 and 5:30pm. Those participating in “load out” (disassembling the stage and returning the venue to its initial state) may be working until anywhere between 12am and 4am. [1] [12]
Crews
editStage
editStage Crew works with a local professional production company to help assemble the stage for the show. During the show itself, stage crew members are responsible for security in the backstage and crew areas, as well as changing over the stage setup between acts. [12]
Hospitality
editThe purpose of Hospitality Crew is to keep everyone fed and comfortable during the day of the show. These students accommodate needs of the performer and the performer’s entourage, as well as fellow CCC members and concertgoers. It is the Hospitality Crew’s responsibility to set up the dressing rooms for the performers, and during the show, crew members are stationed at various posts, including entrances to the dressing rooms and each of the water stations around the front of house. [12]
Security
editDuring the show, security crew is responsible for the general security of everyone performing, working, and attending the concert. Crew members are stationed in the barricade, at the sound board, as well as throughout front of house. [12]
Box Office
editFrom the time the doors open, the box office crew is responsible for selling any unsold tickets, distributing complimentary and guest list tickets, as well as handling any issues that arise with printed tickets. [12]
Ticket Taking
editTicket takers are responsible for checking all tickets as concert goers enter the venue, as well as performing pat downs and bag checks, and confiscating any items that cannot be allowed into the venue. [12]
Slope Day Myth
editContrary to popular belief [13] [14] Cornell Concert Commission operates independently of Slope Day Planning Board and is in no way part of the selection, booking, or production of the concert that takes place during Cornell’s annual Slope Day. [12]
Notable Past Shows
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e "Cornell Concert Commissions" (PDF). Cornell Concert Commission. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ^ a b "The Cataracs Will Headline Arts Quad Concert Kick-Off". Cornell Daily Sun. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ^ "Cornell Concert Commissions". Cornell Concert Commission. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ^ "Dear Uncle Enzra". Ezra Cornell. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ^ a b "Grateful Dead live on in alumni memories of Barton Hall '77". Cornell Chronicle. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ^ "REMEMBER THE DEAD: ON REVISITING BARTON HALL '77". Ithaca Post. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ^ a b "1977 May 8 - Cornell University". Deadlistening. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ^ "The Greatest Show Ever?". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ^ "Grateful Dead Live at Barton Hall, Cornell University on 1977-05-08 (May 8, 1977)". Internet Archive. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ^ "Mayor of Ithaca: 'May 8th 2007 is Grateful Dead Day'". Live Music Blog. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ^ "BACK TO BARTON HALL". Ithaca Post. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Cornell Concert Commision Director Interview". WikiSource. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ^ "Hip-Hop Artist Nelly Will Perform on Slope Day". Cornell Sun. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
- ^ "Breaking: Avicii to Play Cornell Homecoming". Ivy Gate. Retrieved 3 October 2012.