The Roots... and who?!

Daniel Oakes

02-19-10

With spring break just around the corner, this can only mean one thing; the semester is coming to an end! In no time, work will start piling up and the nightly cramming for exams will take the place your endless nights of finding your way to bed at sunrise. Before you decide to end you social life for the last part of the semester why not come out and enjoy a night with The Roots at University of Maine. Their appearance is planned for 7 p.m. on March 20^th at the field house.

The decision to have The Roots for this year’s spring entertainment came from the students. The Facebook group “Bring The Roots to Umaine” has 2,158 members as of 4:20 p.m. Friday. Student Government’s vice president, Joseph Nabozny said, “This is democracy in action.” For once, in my four years as a student, the student government has listened to what us students want. In 2001 The Roots came to Umaine. The performance was great but the outcome was less than stellar. The lack of numbers for the show was a major disappointment for the artists. The main reason for the low numbers was mainly in part of the time of the show. The show had little hype and was planned for an inopportune night. Student government picked a night before the kick off of spring break; when most kids are skipping their Friday classes and making their way home for the next two weeks. The total turnout for the 2001 show was just over 1,000. But the bigger question is who will be the opening act for The Roots?

As a Wells, Maine native, I’ve been following my fellow Wellsian, Spose, since his first track. Most of us have seen that he too has a Facebook group titled, “Make Spose the Opening Act for The Roots @ Umaine!” The group has over 1,000 members and is still growing. Hopefully the student government will follow suite with their hiring of The Roots and get Spose to open the show for them. If the members of both Facebook groups attend the concert there will be three times turnout of The Roots previous performance at Umaine. Umainers mark the date on your calendar for a bumping show with The Roots on March 20^th!