While most of those following last weekend’s Student Union budget allocation meetings were probably focused on the WILD budget, another notable concert-related change may have flown below many students’ radars. The final SU-approved budget for Social Programming Board includes a fall concert that will be held at the Pageant rather than the Gargoyle, a change intended to attract and accommodate more students while reducing cost per head. Though we commend SPB for taking steps to upgrade its historically underappreciated concert series, we at Student Life are skeptical as to whether this move to the Pageant is the best way to do so.

First of all, SPB’s goal of filling the Pageant seems overly optimistic and, frankly, unrealistic. The capacity of the Pageant ranges from 1,000 to 2,300, more than double that of the Gargoyle, which can hold no more than 500 people. SPB already struggles to fill the Gargoyle for its semesterly concert series, which typically hosts smaller-name artists like Smallpools and STRFKR. Without other efforts to attract students, it’s unlikely that attendance would increase dramatically next semester.

In fact, the move from the Gargoyle to the Pageant could actually decrease concert attendance. For most students—particularly those living on the South 40—the Pageant is considerably further than the Gargoyle, and SPB’s proposal does not include proposed transportation options. Will students really be willing to make the trek to the Loop for a concert that they might not have even attended on campus? SPB maintains that the Pageant will draw bigger crowds because it’s a more professional venue, but using this logic, we might also consider holding Washington University football games at the Edward Jones Dome in order to increase fan turnout.

Overall, the switch seems like a risky gamble, considering the total cost of holding a concert at the Pageant is more than twice that of holding one in the Gargoyle ($13,767.96 for next fall vs. $6,357.52 for last fall, according to the SU finance website). If SPB manages to fill the Pageant, the cost per attendee will be less, but, if it doesn’t, the extra expense will have been for naught.

Chances are, in order to draw bigger crowds, SPB needs to bring in bigger-name artists. To the group’s credit, this idea may have been part of its reasoning for the move—most artists would probably be more interested in performing at a professional venue than in a tiny multipurpose room in a basement. If SPB can attract more exciting performers to the Pageant, they might be able to meet their attendance expectations after all. Consider WUStock in 2013: after being forced indoors because of a blizzard, the Macklemore-headlined concert maxed out the Pageant, to the point where many students were turned away. With any luck, an upgraded fall concert series could inspire the same level of student enthusiasm, helping to fill the WILD-shaped hole in our hearts.

Whether or not SPB succeeds in drawing students to the Pageant this fall, one question remains: What will become of the Gargoyle? The space is already underutilized; we wrote a staff editorial about its neglect earlier this month. SPB seems to have other ideas for the space going forward—including shows featuring student talent—but it nonetheless worries us to see the Gargoyle losing its signature event. Sure, the Gargoyle has all the ambience of a middle school cafeteria, but there’s something to be said for seeing bands perform in such an intimate and classically Wash. U. venue. As cool as a free concert at the Pageant might sound, let’s not forget to take advantage of the venues we have right here on campus first.