Given its size and location on campus, it would be expected that the University could readily and consistently draw in popular acts. But thanks to a more competitive marketplace and higher ticket prices, that's not always the way it works.
"In the '80s, the Dean Smith Center attracted some good bands," said Frank Heath, owner and manager of Cat's Cradle.
Things have changed since then.
Alltel Pavilion, for example, serves as a venue where students from the Triangle's three large campuses and other smaller schools can converge, increasing revenue while remaining accessible to those in college.
"I think that the Dean Dome has inherent problems with dealing with the Pavilion at Walnut Creek," Heath said.
N.C. State's new RBC Center has hosted a variety of big-name shows, though it tends to lean toward top-40 acts and older stars. The venue recently hosted Bette Midler and was able to attract an older demographic more inclined to pay for expensive tickets, said Don Luse, director of the Carolina Union at UNC.
Corporations have entered the fray as well.
Clear Channel Inc. is now Alltel Pavilion's promoter, giving the venue a competitive edge it did not have in the '80s. With millions of dollars to attract bands and a promise of larger crowds, the pavilion trumps the Smith Center's big name chances.
"They have their hands in a lot more things," said Heath.
Heath also said the Smith Center now faces a sort of Catch-22. Because UNC has not aggressively pursued bands for some time, agents are less likely to consider the campus as an option when choosing venues.
Another problem - if one can call it that - is the strong independent music scene in Chapel Hill.
Luse said students are more inclined to see an up-and-coming band in an intimate setting than to attend a more expensive show on campus. "A lot of students would just as soon see entertainment in a club setting," he said. "There's not a lack of loud music. There's a very lively scene in Chapel Hill, something that's a little more up to the minute."
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That's a fact Heath can take some credit for. His Cat's Cradle has been at the forefront of the consistently growing Chapel Hill scene, which has lent the town a reputation as a hub for independent acts.
"A lot of it's just that we've been on the map for a while," Heath said.
There are practical concerns as well: Big names require big money. Just to get a major artist in the door requires as much as $30,000 in production costs and ad campaigns. Add up to $75,000 in artist fees, and the payoff begins to look bleak.
Still, other campuses don't seem to be suffering from the same drought. Duke University attracted both Ludacris and Kanye West last year, and Nappy Roots and Wilco recently performed there as well.
The university has implemented a separate $121 student fee, required of all students.
The money from that fee goes toward the Duke Union and student government - but the major attractions sector of the Duke Union receives the largest portion of that fee to fund shows.
Nick Vivion, major attractions chairman, said Duke is dedicated to making the university a priority on bands' venue list.
"We want to get a good name out there," he said. "Let people know that it's fun to come out here."
But the economic options of a private university and a prominent record of recent bookings aren't available to promote the reputation of UNC's largest venue.
And that might just encapsulate the Dome's curse - as long as it doesn't run over into basketball season.
Contact the A&E Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
