When the Tavern opened at 7:20 p.m. Saturday night for rapper Talib Kweli's concert, the line of fans in the Mary Graydon Center overflowed outside. Kweli's rhymes brought in a crowd of more than 950 people - about 250 people over the fire capacity, according to assistant Student Union Board director Jason Geisinger's estimate.
To accommodate the potential hazard, SUB created an "escape route," or a clear aisle, by American Pi, to ensure a quick exit in case of an emergency.
"We were keeping a very close eye on the amount of people in [the Tavern]," Geisinger said, who was not concerned about the crowd.
The concert, to Geisinger's knowledge, was the largest show in the Tavern's history.
"It was an incredible show with a surprise performance from Jarobi, a member of A Tribe Called Quest, with his new rap project," he said. "It was totally unexpected, but totally awesome. Speaking for SUB, it was one of the most exceptional shows in [our] history."
Last semester, SUB brought hyperactive headbanger Andrew W.K. and pop-punkers the Ataris to the Tavern, but neither rivaled Kweli in terms of attendance. The Ataris drew a crowd of about 400 and W.K. about 300.
