The SPB-sponsored fall concert proved unpopular with students, drawing a majority of the crowd from elsewhere.
SAMANTHA BLONS
News Assistant
More than 1000 people attended the Jars of Clay concert in Alumni Park on Saturday. About 200 of the audience members were Pepperdine students, according to Tiffany Saulnier, Student Programming Board administrative coordinator.
Student Activities Coordinator Dustin Vyers estimated that the cost of the concert totaled about $45,000, though almost $15,500 was recovered through ticket revenue. The remaining $29,500 came out of the SPB budget, financed with each undergraduate’s $60 per semester student activities fee.
Tickets cost $12 for Pepperdine students, and $18 for the general public. SPB sold 1,030 tickets overall, including 787 tickets before the concert date, according to Saulnier.
The funds went primarily to booking the band, about $20,000, and to production costs, according to Anthony Kennada, SPB concert coordinator..
“This was a relatively low costing concert for being an outdoor show,” Kennada said. He explained that outdoor concerts are usually more expensive than indoor ones.
In the past, Pepperdine concerts have been held either at Alumni Park or Firestone Fieldhouse. Last spring’s sell-out Jimmy Eat World concert was held in Firestone Fieldhouse and attracted more than 500 students.
Jars of Clay, the Christian rock group who headlined the tour, performed for almost two hours starting just after 8 p.m. Country rock singer Kate York opened for them at 6:30, followed by acoustic pop artist Matt Wertz.
“I’ve never played anywhere so beautiful before, so that’s the distinguishing feature of this place,” Wertz said.
Senior Clint Loveness attended the Pepperdine-sponsored Switchfoot concert three years ago, which was also held in Alumni.
“I think it’s awesome how they have concerts overlooking the ocean,” Loveness said. “Personally, I would like to see them have a daylight concert, just because it’s such a pretty location.”
Despite SPB’s efforts to advertise the concert over the past month, only about one-fifth of the total audience was comprised of Pepperdine students, many of whom live walking distance from Alumni Park.
“We need to go back and speculate whether Jars of Clay was a popular band for most students,” Kennada said, though he adds that the headlining band had a substantial following in the community and among students. “I think at the end of the day, everyone who did make it there really enjoyed themselves.”
When SPB opened the concert gates that evening, a line of people were already waiting to set down blankets and chairs on the grass. During the show, the most eager fans crowded around the stage to be close to the performers.
“This is one of the first concerts I’ve been able to get up close to the band I was there for,” said sophomore Marina Cary.
Freshman Kyle Tenney agreed.
“It wasn’t a huge crowd, so you got to really hear their music,” he said.
Outside the concert gates, an In-and-Out truck served ticket-holders with free burgers and fries. In the back of the audience area within the gates, booths were set up for Rock 4 Christ Productions, the radio station K-LIFE 89.5 FM and also for several philanthropic organizations promoted by the performers. SPB members sold merchandise for the band and opening acts, ranging from $2 to $40 per item. SPB did not make any profit off of the merchandise booths.
“[The bands] don’t bring people in to do that,” Kennada said. “It’s part of the duties of the venue, even though we don’t get a cut off of it.”
Kennada manages a volunteer student concert committee, which helps organized major concerts on campus. About 15 concert committee members worked at the Jars of Clay event, and Kennada plans to recruit more volunteers for the spring semester.
Students can now begin to look forward to the spring concert, likely to also be held in Alumni Park, according to Kennada.
“[The spring concert] is going to be a lot bigger than the fall show,” Kennada said.
He added that he is working to book a more well-known band for the spring, but cannot divulge with whom he is collaborating.
11-09-2006