Wednesday, June 5, 2002
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Wednesday, June 5, 2002 |
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Teen concert plans hit sour note
Fred Fest concert organizers are forced to call off the June 8 teen event planned at the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater due to low advance ticket sales. A ticket sale blitz by event organizers was held in the last few weeks. The blitz included announcements at local high schools, press releases, public announcements at amphitheater events and flyers distributed at local band events Recreation Department staff also manned special ticket sales tables at area high schools during the last three weeks of school, but all this was not enough to sell the minimum 300 tickets needed to proceed with the concert. Advance tickets were $10. The money for individual tickets sold will be refunded. "We are extremely disappointed that we have to cancel the concert," said Sherry McHugh, recreation administrator and concert producer. "The feedback we have received from teens over the years led us to believe music was enjoyed by most teens and that they wanted this kind of event in Peachtree City, but the youth just did not respond. "A lot of time was spent planning this concert," she continued. "We searched out the best local talent available, got wonderful support from the amphitheater staff to provide a great location and a first-class sound and lighting system to produce ideal concert conditions. Because this was city sponsored, all elements of the concert were carefully crafted to provide a safe and enjoyable, but structured show setting." The concert was a joint effort of the Peachtree City Recreation Department, the amphitheater staff, the law firm of Webb, Lindsey, Collins, Jones & Wade, the Huddle House and the Peachtree City Tennis Center. "We thought we had the makings of a really fun event for our teens," said Bernice Wassell, recreation coordinator. "The bands that had committed to appear at the concert are from the Peachtree City and Fayetteville area and are not newcomers to the music scene." Slow Children At Play has played together 8 years and produced 3 CDs. The band, made up of college students, has been featured on FM radio stations throughout the southeast. Most of the band Gravel Undertones, which features alternative rock, has played together for 5 years. They have produced 10 original songs on their CD in a style reminiscence of Hendrix to Led Zeppelin to R.E.M. with Red Hot Chili Peppers, Steely Dan and Pink Floyd in between. Brazen Angel is a high-energy band from start to finish, with a style hard to categorize, but one that "plays music like the 90s never happened!" Other bands that were scheduled to appear were Fly Style, a McIntosh High School group that has produced a CD and is a popular choice for local private engagements; and Falter, a group from Starr's Mill High School, that has produced a CD and had the winning number in the school's talent show last February. "We don't feel like our time planning this event was wasted. The city may present an idea of a concert at another time or in conjunction with another event," said McHugh. "At the very least we now have a solid game plan to present a concert of this type with every detail carefully considered."
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