With the Student Programming Board’s (SPB) annual Spring Concert just days away, the upcoming Barstoolapalooza concert at Toad’s Place the same evening has students questioning whether or not The Fray will be in over their heads.

Barstoolapalooza is a college tour featuring artists such as Boston rapper Sam Adams. The concert is sponsored by Barstool Sports, a popular Web site and blog in Boston and New York. Stoolapalooza and The Fray are scheduled on the same night, April 18.

“People may choose Barstoolapalooza because most people do not think of The Fray as the hot band out there today,” sophomore Kyle Lewis said. “I think students are more interested in seeing [Barstoolapalooza] since Sam Adams is the hot new artist around Quinnipiac.”

Adams first gained recognition rapping at Trinity College in Boston. The 22-year-old’s self-produced the EP “Boston’s Boy,” sold 8,000 digital copies in its first week of release. His singles “I Hate College” and “Driving Me Crazy” are likely to be found on the iPods of several college students.

“Yes, many students will go to Stoolapalooza, but a lot of students are excited for the opportunity to see a Grammy-winning band on their own campus that night,” SPB Arts and Entertainment Chair Jamie Kloss said. “Students get the chance to go out to New Haven every weekend. For one night, SPB is hosting one of the most acclaimed bands in the country.”

The Fray has been on the scene since 2005 with the release of their debut album, “How to Save a Life.” Forty percent of students chose The Fray as a top choice in SPB’s online survey.

“It’s what the majority of QU wanted,” SPB member Jessica Goggi said. “I think the students can expect a great concert because The Fray is a great band, and they have meaningful songs.”

Those meaningful songs, such as “Over My Head (Cable Car),” “How to Save a Life,” and “Look After You” catapulted their first CD to multi-platinum status. The Fray’s musical style has been compared to Coldplay’s, while other critics have compared the band to Jimmy Eat World and Something Corporate.

Fray guitarist Joe King announced to MTV that the band would be back in the studio this summer to record their third album. New material can be expected at the end of this year and the beginning of 2011.

“Students can expect an upbeat show with a lot of excitement and talent,” SPB’s Mainstage Chair Megan Doyle said.

The spring concert has large shoes to fill since the Third Eye Blind concert in the fall was a sold out show. Some students are skeptical about The Fray’s upcoming performance after the successful turn out for Third Eye Blind.

“The fall’s Third Eye Blind Concert was one of the best concerts I have ever been to in my life,” Lewis said. “I don’t think that The Fray will put on the same quality concert that Third Eye Blind did.”

For others, neither option is feasible. Freshman Alissa Brown would have liked to see Sam Adams, but will instead stay in to complete her school assignments.

“I’m preparing for finals because I know I’m going to be really busy that week [in May],” she said.

Stoolapalooza and The Fray will be different performances in quite diverse atmospheres. Floor tickets for The Fray are $25, while Barstoolapalooza tickets are $12 with additional fees. For some students, the cost will be taken into consideration. For others, The Fray just isn’t appealing.

“My roommates and I are avid Barstool fans,” junior Chris McGuire said. “The Fray appeals to a certain part of the population, but I would like to see Jay-Z, Nas, Wu-Tang, Blink-182, Eminem, or Wale.”

SPB past performers include T-Pain, Ashanti, Jack’s Mannequin, Ludacris, and Cartel.

“I think it’s impossible to please everyone. Taking everything into account, SPB does it in the fairest way,” sophomore Patrick Noonan said. “You can’t get mad at SPB because they don’t bring your favorite artist.”