Garcia plans Pyramid concert

The Associated Students Inc. will have another chance at throwing a concert in The Pyramid, A.S.I. President-elect Robert Garcia said Thursday.

The A.S.I. Board of Control recently approved a $50,000 budget for the event in late March.

Garcia is confident on improving on last year's concert, Beach Blast '99, which lost $56,260. The November event sold 1,476 tickets for a concert in a venue that seats up to 5,000.

"It was a learning experience," Garcia said. "The money lost was an investment."

Garcia attributes the low attendance last year to lack of outside promotions. He said the A.S.I. is looking into hiring an outside company to promote this year's concert, which is tentatively scheduled to take place in early fall, depending on the availability of The Pyramid.

Garcia said he met with Mark Edrington, general manager of The Pyramid, and both are committed to doing a concert there.

"I'm not afraid of losing money," Garcia said. "We made some mistakes along the way, but we've learned from those."

Last year's concert was headlined by alternative group Smashmouth, and supported by Reel Big Fish and Black Eyed Peas.  Garcia said he has a long list of possible groups for the fall concert, but said he wants to get as much student input as possible before choosing an act. Since Smashmouth is somewhat alternative, he said that perhaps a hip-hop group would be chosen.

He explained the three main facets of preparing for the concert are booking good performers, properly marketing the concert and putting on a solid show.

The concert preparations will not fall solely on Garcia's shoulders, however. Once he appoints an executive administrator, that person will be overseeing the process, he said.

"We want to be very fiscally responsible," Garcia said. "I really look forward to putting on a show this year."