Organizers optimistic music fans will fill stadium
UA junior, Kelsey Vaughan, 21, (left) and senior Elle Oviedo, 22, give each other a high five after checking out where their seats are for Wednesday's concert at Arizona Stadium.
With showtime barely 24 hours away, slow ticket sales continued to plague the first major concert in Arizona Stadium since Jimmy Carter was president and Elvis was a reigning king.
Tuesday morning, Tommy Bruce, president of the Associated Students of University of Arizona, which is sponsoring the Wednesday multigenre show, would say only that more than half of the 17,000 available tickets had sold.
It’s the same thing he said April 12, but organizers still cling to threads of optimism.
“Ticket sales are slow, but they’ve definitely picked up the past few days,” said.
The show features Aussie twins The Veronicas, San Francisco alt rockers Third Eye Blind, “American Idol” winner Kelly Clarkson and rapper Jay Z (his only American concert thus far in 2009).
It’s the first show in Arizona Stadium since 1977, when Fleetwood Mac packed 67,000 into the Wildcats’ home.
It was unclear Tuesday if the show would break even. Final expenses and revenue won’t be known until a month after the concert, Bruce said.
Don’t expect a traffic snarl on par with a football game. Average attendance for home games hovers around 50,000. Even basketball games draw an average of 14,000. Nearby parking likely will be available.
Though ticket sales have been disappointing, Bruce considers the concert a good opportunity for students to bridge the gap between the campus and the community at large.
He wouldn’t rule out a ticket sale surge on the final two days.
“We’re optimistic,” he said.
A stage is built in Arizona Stadium for the first concert there since 1977.
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If you go
What: The Veronicas, Third Eye Blind, Kelly Clarkson and Jay Z concert.
Where: Arizona Stadium at the University of Arizona
When: Doors open at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
Tickets: $27-$200; available at http://asuaspecialevents.com