On Friday, 4,695 students flocked to the Joyce Center Fieldhouse to see Third Eye Blind and Common play a Show that was anything but semi-charmed - after all, the crowd topped all attendance records in the concert's six-year history.
"The final ticket sale was 4,818, which is the highest number we've had," said senior Patrick Vassel, chair of The Show 2006 Committee.
The goal for this year's Show, Vassel said, was to bring "two exciting, dynamic performers."
"We brought bands that everybody wanted to go see, and that is reflected in the numbers, which exceeded all expectations," he said. "If we had sold about 3,800, I would have been thrilled, so being at 4,800 is unbelievable."
Students like sophomore Janeva Waked agreed that this year's Show benefited from featuring higher-profile performers.
"I think Third Eye Blind is more popular with Notre Dame students," Waked said. "Last year [when band Cake and Akon performed] my roommate hadn't heard of either of them so she thought it was a band called 'Cakeakon.'"
Sophomore Matthew Storey also said the band was more suited for Notre Dame students.
"The typical Notre Dame student associates more with a Third Eye Blind-type of band," he said.
What makes this year's Show even more impressive, Vassel said, is that neither Third Eye Blind or Common had major touring plans that made it convenient for them to stop for a performance at Notre Dame.
"Both of these bands genuinely wanted to come to Notre Dame, loved being here, and came because they wanted to," he said. "They made specific plans to make it out."
Students in attendance were generally overflowing with positive feedback - especially about the price tag on the ticket.
"I thought it was the best Show I've been to," junior Katie Smith said. "Compared to other concerts the pricing was very reasonable, especially for seeing a band like Third Eye Blind who's pretty well-known."
The pricing also impressed freshman Steve Bold, who said he wouldn't have been surprised to pay five times as much for a show like this.
"I know for other concerts you can pay around 50 dollars or more for a ticket," he said."So at ten dollars a ticket these were really cheap."
The seating arrangements differed from previous years, Vassel said, allowing for floor seating that eliminated standing-only sections divided by barricades for a "more intimate concert feel."
Attendees like freshman Kim Kristoff appreciated the change.
"I liked the setup," she said. "Wherever you were, you had a good seat and could hear the bands really well."
From a logistical standpoint, Director of Production Steve Tortorello said he couldn't be happier.
"I've worked a lot of concerts and I can honestly say that this is the smoothest show I have ever worked in my life," he said. "The volunteers all showed up and were hard workers so we were able to set up everything and tear it all down smoothly."
Despite his duties, even Tortorello was able to enjoy himself during the concert.
"I thought it was a great show and a lot of fun," he said.
