OT: COOL CONCEPT CONCERTS...
Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 3:25 ammaybe not journey related, but music wise pretty cool event. If journey has open time...and if they are serious about getting the kids into them....this could be a perfect match
for journey...
One Big Gridiron Bash
Wednesday, Feb 6, 2008 2:28AM
New York City-based MSL Sports and Entertainment's Gridiron Bash" will throw the biggest pep rally ever this spring by staging 17 concerts simultaneously in college stadiums across the country, many of which have never hosted a live music event.
The April 18 shows feature Fergie, Maroon 5, Kelly Clarkson, Fall Out Boy, Counting Crows, ZZ Top, Goo Goo Dolls, Dwight Yoakam, Taylor Swift, Montgomery Gentry, Good Charlotte, O.A.R. and Black Crowes, among others. Artists with a history in a given area will be paired with a corresponding school.
Participating schools so far include Penn State, University of Colorado, Texas A&M, Arizona State University, Rutgers, University of South Carolina and University of Tennessee.
MSL is also finalizing partnerships with a half dozen other schools including University of Maryland, University of Kentucky, University of Texas at El Paso and Auburn University.
Confirmed shows at this time include Fergie at Penn State, ZZ Top at Texas A&M, Counting Crows at University of Colorado and Goo Goo Dolls at Kansas State.
In addition to a live concert, each stadium will host a pep rally, introduction of next year's respective football team roster, a chat with the head coach and autograph sessions with past school legends.
As an additional draw, the events will include the USA Today Bash for Cash competition, which gives fans a chance to earn money for their schools.
Winning schools will be determined by combining total attendance at Gridiron Bash with the number of fans who text/call in to vote for their schools. The top school will get a $1 million contribution to its general scholarship fund, with second and third place schools receiving $500,000 and $250,000 respectively.
MSL's president, Shawn Garrity, and CEO Gary Cioffi said the event grew out of a desire by the schools to find a way to generate revenue from an annual tradition.
"The universities for some time have been trying to figure out how to do more with their spring football games," Garrity told Pollstar. "These games are starting to get big crowds. The University of Alabama got 92,500 people to their spring game last year, which is basically just a scrimmage with the football team against itself.
"There have been several other campuses who've had these big crowds, but they've never really been able to charge a gate [admission] for it because it is a scrimmage. They get parking and they get food and beverage, but they've never figured out how to monetize that crowd.
"So we combined the college bands, the cheerleaders and the fans with major artists like the ones on our list to have fans come for those two days. Friday it's a celebration with a big concert and then Saturday you've got the spring game. A lot of campuses are making it a two-day ticketed package, where you'll have the same seat both days."
Years ago, it was fairly common for big concert tours to stop at colleges. Not anymore.
"The major acts aren't getting onto these college campuses as often as they used to" Garrity said. "Student affairs used to underwrite these budgets with these [tours] with 30 tractor trailers coming in for four dates and basically use it as a recruitment tool. But that got shut down a while back.
Garrity said the schools will receive all parking, food and beverage sales, a share of merchandising, a guarantee on the event regardless of attendance and additional revenue for attendance of more than 40,000.
One thing MSL won't be bringing in is sound equipment. Technical advances in the past few years have made it possible to do a quality show using existing equipment.
"The supporting Jumbotrons and sound systems at these major universities we're going to are concert quality," Garrity said. "So that really does reduce the requirements of what you used to have to truck in to create that environment.
"And with the wireless side of this - the Jumbotron, the texting, the fan voting - we think this is what fans are looking for in their sports and in their music. It personalizes the experience."
The original goal was 15 schools, but MSL has been able to expand it to 21. Because of scheduling conflicts four of the schools will hold their events on a day other than April 18.
The company also has plans for a Fall Rivalry Tour. Each weekend starting with the regular football season, MSL will choose a school playing a major rival and hold an event the Friday before the game. Garrity estimates the tour will hit 13 to 15 schools, plus championship games.
for journey...
One Big Gridiron Bash
Wednesday, Feb 6, 2008 2:28AM
New York City-based MSL Sports and Entertainment's Gridiron Bash" will throw the biggest pep rally ever this spring by staging 17 concerts simultaneously in college stadiums across the country, many of which have never hosted a live music event.
The April 18 shows feature Fergie, Maroon 5, Kelly Clarkson, Fall Out Boy, Counting Crows, ZZ Top, Goo Goo Dolls, Dwight Yoakam, Taylor Swift, Montgomery Gentry, Good Charlotte, O.A.R. and Black Crowes, among others. Artists with a history in a given area will be paired with a corresponding school.
Participating schools so far include Penn State, University of Colorado, Texas A&M, Arizona State University, Rutgers, University of South Carolina and University of Tennessee.
MSL is also finalizing partnerships with a half dozen other schools including University of Maryland, University of Kentucky, University of Texas at El Paso and Auburn University.
Confirmed shows at this time include Fergie at Penn State, ZZ Top at Texas A&M, Counting Crows at University of Colorado and Goo Goo Dolls at Kansas State.
In addition to a live concert, each stadium will host a pep rally, introduction of next year's respective football team roster, a chat with the head coach and autograph sessions with past school legends.
As an additional draw, the events will include the USA Today Bash for Cash competition, which gives fans a chance to earn money for their schools.
Winning schools will be determined by combining total attendance at Gridiron Bash with the number of fans who text/call in to vote for their schools. The top school will get a $1 million contribution to its general scholarship fund, with second and third place schools receiving $500,000 and $250,000 respectively.
MSL's president, Shawn Garrity, and CEO Gary Cioffi said the event grew out of a desire by the schools to find a way to generate revenue from an annual tradition.
"The universities for some time have been trying to figure out how to do more with their spring football games," Garrity told Pollstar. "These games are starting to get big crowds. The University of Alabama got 92,500 people to their spring game last year, which is basically just a scrimmage with the football team against itself.
"There have been several other campuses who've had these big crowds, but they've never really been able to charge a gate [admission] for it because it is a scrimmage. They get parking and they get food and beverage, but they've never figured out how to monetize that crowd.
"So we combined the college bands, the cheerleaders and the fans with major artists like the ones on our list to have fans come for those two days. Friday it's a celebration with a big concert and then Saturday you've got the spring game. A lot of campuses are making it a two-day ticketed package, where you'll have the same seat both days."
Years ago, it was fairly common for big concert tours to stop at colleges. Not anymore.
"The major acts aren't getting onto these college campuses as often as they used to" Garrity said. "Student affairs used to underwrite these budgets with these [tours] with 30 tractor trailers coming in for four dates and basically use it as a recruitment tool. But that got shut down a while back.
Garrity said the schools will receive all parking, food and beverage sales, a share of merchandising, a guarantee on the event regardless of attendance and additional revenue for attendance of more than 40,000.
One thing MSL won't be bringing in is sound equipment. Technical advances in the past few years have made it possible to do a quality show using existing equipment.
"The supporting Jumbotrons and sound systems at these major universities we're going to are concert quality," Garrity said. "So that really does reduce the requirements of what you used to have to truck in to create that environment.
"And with the wireless side of this - the Jumbotron, the texting, the fan voting - we think this is what fans are looking for in their sports and in their music. It personalizes the experience."
The original goal was 15 schools, but MSL has been able to expand it to 21. Because of scheduling conflicts four of the schools will hold their events on a day other than April 18.
The company also has plans for a Fall Rivalry Tour. Each weekend starting with the regular football season, MSL will choose a school playing a major rival and hold an event the Friday before the game. Garrity estimates the tour will hit 13 to 15 schools, plus championship games.