Wednesday, July 16, 2003
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Wednesday, July 16, 2003 |
Turnout for youth concert exceeds expectationsBy J. FRANK LYNCH
Shelby Barker and the other members of the fledgling Peachtree City Youth Council thought they'd be successful if 200 kids showed up for Saturday's "Battle of the Bands" at the Fred Brown Jr. Amphitheater. But just in case, they printed up 500 tickets, and that wasn't nearly enough. When the 500th ticket exchanged hands across the admissions table, volunteers resorted to handing out those little red, tear-off ticket things used more commonly for raffles. "It was great, more than we expected," Barker said of the pseudo competition, which featured six bands from the area. Though there was no official "winner," audience applause was used to declare a popular tie between Chopper John and the Gravel Undertones. More telling, perhaps, was the reaction from the bands themselves, who all appreciated the high exposure provided by the event, Barker said. "Two bands were selling CDs on site and sold out," he said. A deejay representing Atlanta radio station 99X was so impressed with the sound of Trapper John, he solicited them to appear at the metro Atlanta stop of the "Warped Tour," a nationwide summer tour of independent and alternative acts. With nearly $2,000 in the bank now, Barker said the Youth Council has to get serious. "We've got to right some bylaws, get organized," he said. "And then, do some community projects." Admitting the "Battle of the Bands" probably had limited appeal to the community at large, Barker said, "We're looking at doing something that would interest the adults." Of course, it was the adults who initially had doubts the 15 members of the council, sponsored by the Peachtree City Recreation Department, could pull off something so ambitious. "Back in October we tossed out the idea of having battle of the bands and (the adults) said, 'whatever,'" Barker recalled. "But it all fell into place and now they're sitting back and letting us run the show." And another unexpected consequence of the event, Barker said, was the interest it created about the youth council itself. Several local teens have come forward wanting to join the group and help organize the next event, he said. Those wanting more information on how to volunteer can call Barker at 770-631-7712.
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