Continuing Coverage by:

Show To Honor Tech Victims Criticized

August 03, 2007

By Rex Bowman

An upcoming concert at Virginia Tech has angered some families of the victims of the April massacre, according to a security specialist who says he speaks for the families.

The Sept. 6 "Concert for Virginia Tech" is promoted by the Dave Matthews Band as a way to help the Tech community recover from the shooting rampage that left 33 dead on the Blacksburg campus. But Vincent Bove of New Jersey said it appears to the families that Tech is exploiting the death of their loved ones to gain publicity.

“Tech’s position is, ‘Let’s turn this into a vaudeville show,’” Bove said yesterday. "And the families are saying, 'Why are we continuing to be victimized?' This is exploitative and insensitive."

Tech spokesman Christopher Clough said the community has responded enthusiastically to the concert, announced Wednesday. Signs of support included an e-mail from the family of one of gunman Seung-Hui Cho's shooting victims, Clough said.

The free concert is to feature not only the Dave Matthews Band, but John Mayer, country singer Phil Vassar and hip-hop artist Nas. The Dave Matthews Band suggested the show and created the lineup, Clough said.

Bove, who said he has been authorized to speak on behalf of seven families and informally stays in touch with others, also took issue with the lyrics of Nas' song "Shoot'Em Up," a violence-filled tune that includes the lyrics "kill kill kill, murder murder murder."

"The families thought, 'What next?'" Bove said. He declined to put a reporter in touch with any of the families, saying they have asked him to speak for them.

Clough said he is unfamiliar with Nas' work, and Tech made no attempt to vet any of the performers. "We're happy it's such a broad range of offerings."

The performers have waived their fees to take part in the concert, which will be paid for by corporate sponsorship and the sale of commemorative items, according to Tech.

Bove said that, while the performers' intentions are good, Tech is orchestrating the event to achieve publicity, just as it did when the New York Yankees gave the school $1 million and Tech President Charles W. Steger threw out the first pitch before a game at Yankee Stadium. The families, Bove said, want Tech "to stop using our loved ones for your public-relations schemes."

Contact Rex Bowman at (540) 344-3612 or rbowman@timesdispatch.com.