How schools get the best on-campus concerts for less

In part one of this two-part series, Money College columnist Steven Kent talks about a subject he knows extremely well: the college concert scene, and what makes it tick. Look for part two of the series next Sunday.

A couple of years ago, COED Magazine ran a derisive little piece pointing a finger at "the worst college spring concerts" of 2008. Although the article came across as a bit mean-spirited (do we really need more post-prime potshots at Eve 6 and the Gin Blossoms?), the COED staff made a point to which I can still relate from my own undergrad experience: On-campus venues at many schools, theoretically havens for exhilarating new music, often end up clogged with mid-'90s holdovers strumming out acoustic versions of has-been hits.