Schools

For Some Neighbors, College's Ludacris Concert Too Vulgar for Open Air

Complaints rolled in Friday morning about a concert at Stony Brook University on Thursday night.

Like colleges that have a spring concert to ring in the warm weather, Stony Brook University's spring concert on Thursday night did just that, though its first ever outdoor concert held at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium was a little louder than some would have liked – and, some locals noted, a little too profane.

With work being done on the university's indoor venue, Thursday night's concert featuring Ludacris and GroupLove was moved outside, and according to university officials, ended prior to the 10 p.m. deadline set per town code. The stage also faced the university to reduce sound impact.

In addition, a letter was distributed to neighboring homes, calling the concert "small in scale as compared to other events of its kind." While LaValle Stadium fits nearly 9,000 people, the concert sold about 3,500 tickets.

The Civic Association of the Setaukets and Stony Brook did not immediately returned a request for comment, though a response asking locals for their take on Facebook picked up traction, and the conversation appeared to be mixed.

While one reader noted that she couldn't hear the concert in the M Section, another said she heard it about four to five miles away in Setauket Gables. Another reader near Nassakakaeg Ridge said she didn't hear it though heard of someone else who did.

The profanity of some of the lyrics irked locals more than the noise level itself.

One reader asked: "Concerts that are to be heard across the community without choice, should at least be considered for appropriateness by the SUNY, don't you think?"

What do you think? Should outdoor performances be limited based on what the performer is saying? Should it be limited to certain days or times, or should no outdoor performances be permitted at all? Let us know in the comments.


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