UpDate - Vol. 12, No. 12, Page 6                       
November 19, 1992                                      
Rappers, country stars perform in Bob Carpenter Center 
                                                       
     The Bob Carpenter Center experienced a full weekend of activity,
hosting two diverse concerts and then shifting gears to prepare for
the Monday evening premiere of men's basketball in the Acierno Arena.
     On Friday night, nearly 1,000 fans responded to national rap 
stars, in a concert sponsored by the Center for Black Culture and the
Cultural Programming Advisory Board.                         
     Chubb Rock, M.C. Serch, Grand Puba and Zhigge shared the concert
stage in the first-ever rap concert performances in the new building.
The audience-composed of U.D. students and other fans from the
tri-state area- demonstrated that the center's central geographic 
location has the potential to attract fans from Philly and Baltimore.
     Then, on Saturday night, the first sounds of country music
bounced off the new walls, but the music was '90s-style country, a far
cry from the twanging, sorrowful pleas of C & W giants George Jones
and Hank Williams Sr.                                        
     Instead, an appreciative audience of over 2,000 was treated to
hard-driving music and gentle messages, backed up by modern  
arrangements, of popular country/pop/r & b performers Kathy Mattea and
Hal Ketchum. The freshness of the performers and their unique
repertoire was the perfect modern, country-style baptism for the BCC's
Acierno Arena.                                               
     Ketchum and his band the Alibis opened the evening for more than
an hour. With youthful energy, he offered a mix of new hits and
standards. Graciously accepting a rose from one fan, he tied it to the
microphone and voiced his thanks of the audience's enthusiasm.
     His repertoire featured pieces from his recent album Sure Love,
and the audience displayed its approval for his energy and talent by
calling the singer and his band back for more.               
     At one point Ketchum, who with Mattea had just come off a
one-night stand at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, announced, "This is
a safe place. We cover a lot of miles and it's wonderful to come into
a place where people like what you do."                      
     Mattea, the evening's main event, displayed her artistry with a 
healthy rendition of cuts from her latest album, Lonesome Standard
Time.                                                        
     Her interaction with the audience was an added treat. At one 
point she acknowledged a fan from Morgantown, W. Va.         
     Mattea's stage backdrop was a nice addition. Featuring two giant
arches, it accommodated slides that enhanced some of her numbers
throughout the evening.                                      
     "We're proud to be the first country music show here," said
Mattea, who added that it was the first time she had performed on 
Delaware soil.                                               
     Situated within a five-minute drive up Route 896 from the
Mason-Dixon line, which had traditionally separated the northern
states from the South, the BCC proved to be a fitting place for more
country music acts. Anyone who noticed the enthusiastic audience
response-coupled with the healthy number of black cowboy hats, ornate
boots and oversized belt buckles- knows that those fans, and others,
are eager to return for more.                                
                                        -Ed Okonowicz