Where all the cool (read: Drexel) kids go (Toby Hicks/DP)

It’s gonna be bigger than Live Aid. Al Gore just announced that this summer, there will be seven simultaneous “Live Earth” concerts around the globe raising awareness about climate change.

The lineup for the London show is star-studded: Beastie Boys, Madonna and Penn’s own John Legend. But more important, Paolo Nutini will be on stage as well. The Scottish rocker is exploding, and his Live Earth performance will undoubtedly secure his stardom.

Just two months ago, he was here, at Penn. Well, not exactly here, but just off campus, at World Cafe Live.

The concert venue/restaurant/radio station is already one of the most popular places for college students in Philadelphia to see shows and hang out. Kids from St. Joseph’s drive in, and Temple students are regular visitors. Yet despite being only a few blocks from Penn’s doorstep, you won’t find many Penn students there.

The question is why.

World Cafe brings in amazing talent, on an amazingly regular basis. Edwin McCain will be playing there on Wednesday. Ozomatli will be visiting later this month. And one of America’s best rising acts, Josh Ritter, rocked the house earlier this semester.

And cost definitely isn’t the limiting factor. Tickets to Edwin McCain run only $20, and he’s one of the more expensive acts. More over, WCL offers “Free at Noon” concerts every Friday. Seriously, it’s completely free, and live broadcast on WXPN radio.

There may be no such thing as a free lunch at World Cafe (if a free concert isn’t good enough for you), but there is such thing as a free dinner. All during happy hour, World Cafe Live offers completely free appetizers, every weekday from 5:30 to 6:30. And not simply chips and dip. On my visit, they had samosas and spring rolls among the offerings.

Not to mention $2 Magic Hat. Magic Hat! For two freaking dollars!

So why isn’t it sticking with Penn students? Well, it may bring back bitter memories, for one. World Cafe Live was the site of one of the most infamous incidents involving Penn students and police in recent memory, back in 2005.

WCL is also located in a kind of no-man’s land, stuck in a former industrial wasteland far east of where most students live, but far west of the twinkling lights of Center City. However, that’s going to change — and soon. Penn now owns the Postal Lands, 20+ acres of real estate that surrounds World Cafe in three directions. As Penn develops the land, World Cafe Live will surely become much more ingrained in Penn’s psyche, according to WCL spokeswoman and Penn grad Laura Wilson.

Until then, Wilson and her colleagues are hoping “An increased awareness on-campus of all the shows we have here” will draw more Penn students in. But don’t think they’re desperate. Unlike WCL’s first few years, the venue is now thriving, without the help of vast numbers of Penn students.

And the blame falls squarely on students, who are missing out on free food and amazing music just beyond their doorstep. It’s time Quakers start taking advantage, because until they do, Drexel and St. Joe’s students will continue to enjoy what you’re missing.

This entry was posted on Friday, April 13th, 2007 at 12:32 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.