Section
Pepperdine Links
Online Publications
Paul Clark said he wasn’t good enough with words to describe his feelings as he helped heave Jon Foreman, Switchfoot’s lead singer, over the railing and above his head at the four-band concert Friday night in Alumni Park.
Clark, who enjoyed the show from the front and center of the crowd, described the concert as one of the major spiritual retreats that helped him through his freshman college experience. He also praised the Programming Board for paying attention to the pulse of the student body and contemporary Christian music.
“They rock almost as much as Switchfoot does,” Clark said.
Approximately 1,300 people attended the Student Government Association-sponsored event. Battle of the Bands winner Aria Decline started the show, and Sweet James, The Colour and Switchfoot followed.
Multiple factors lead students, administrators, and the Programming Board chair to call the concert a success. Audience members had a good time, the event probably stayed within its budget, and the crowd was ecstatic when Foreman sang and crowd surfed at the same time.
Switchfoot “did an awesome job and I’m stoked that they were here,” said Aubrey Landon, a junior who watched the show. Programming Board Chair Carl Kasalek, who spearheaded organizing the concert, said the concert couldn’t have gone much smoother.
“I was just blown away by how well everything went,” he said.
Students had few complaints about the show. Some said warmer weather, closer proximity to the stage and a performance by the band Noise Ratchet, as advertised, would have improved the event.
But those factors were beyond the control of the Board, Kasalek said.The distance between the crowd barrier and the stage was set by the productions company, and Noise Ratchet cancelled Monday because their guitarist quit.
“They just felt that they weren’t solid enough as a band, and didn’t have somebody to fill in to make a successful show,” Kasalek said.
The band’s cancellation was announced Wednesday at Convocation, and the Board was able to schedule The Colour in place of Noise Ratchet at the last minute. All ticket sales were sold on a rain-or-shine basis with no refunds for any reason.
Despite the cancellation, Kasalek said he thought the show was a great success.
“The only thing that would have made it more successful in my mind is if our attendance would have been greater,” he said.
Kasalek’s goal was to sell 2,000 tickets, but several obstacles including inclement weather and publicity limits posed problems. Because this was a considered a private event and was not run by promoters, the contract forbid the Board from advertising in public radio or newspapers. Also, the concert was not advertised on Switchfoot’s Web site.
“That was just something they didn’t want to do because it would hurt their promotions when they came back through in their spring concert to other venues in the Los Angeles area,” Kasalek said.
He also said the limitations were a hurdle, but gave the Board a new drive to direct advertising at students.
“I knew about it in advance, it was well advertised and tickets were easy to get,” said Zane Frisbie, a sophomore who attended. “It seemed to have been planned out pretty well.”
Kasalek estimated that 1,000 Pepperdine student tickets and 300 others were sold in spite of the obstacles. In advance, students paid $15 and others paid $20. The day of the concert tickets cost $28.
Based on these numbers, ticket sales raised more than $21,000. The Board planned to spend between $20,000 and 25,000 to supplement this, so a total of at least $46,000 is available to pay for the show. Including talent fees, production, hospitality and miscellaneous expenses, Kasalek estimated the show’s cost at $44,250. Final numbers were not available by the Graphic’s deadline Wednesday night.
The finances of the Switchfoot show stand in stark contrast to those of fall semester’s Waves of Mercy concert, which was approximately $7,700 over budget and from which the charities involved still have not received donations. Kasalek said he cannot explain the change, because he was not involved in the facilitation of the other concert.
“I definitely run things a different style than those in the past,” Kasalek said. “Maybe this shows that the way I handle things is a better fit for the Pepperdine community, or maybe it’s out of luck.”
Kasalek added that he doesn’t think it was luck.
The fiscal differences between this concert and that of last fall had numerous causes. Not only was this concert planned by a different Programming Board Chair, but it was handled entirely by the Board and not by the Executive Board of SGA. Additionally, between $10,000 and $15,000 more than last semester was budgeted toward the show from the concerts fund.
According to current estimates, Friday’s concert cost $7,345 less than Waves of Mercy. Talent fees totaled $18,250 instead of $20,000, and Kasalek estimated they saved at least $6,000 by contracting one large production company instead of individual companies to handle logistics like fencing, security, sound and stage setup.
Administrators had only positive things to say about the concert and the Board.
“I have appreciated the leadership of the Programming Board, and I look forward to their continued success in future academic years,” said Associate Dean of Student Affairs Tabatha Jones.
Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Mark Davis had similar sentiments.
“The Programming Board continues to demonstrate its ability to plan and execute successful campus events,” he said. “The changes to the Board’s structure and budget will only enhance its ability to do great work.”
Kasalek said he thinks holding successful events like this concert and Battle of the Bands has opened doors to relationships with administration and opportunities for the Board to take on more duties in the future.
“I think we’ve shown ourselves to be responsible, and so they smile upon that,” Kasalek said.
Kasalek plans to organize either one medium-scale event or a string of several smaller events later this semester. Currently, Service Chair Meredith Moore is leading an effort to raise $4,000 by selling Make a Wish fliers to sponsor a terminally ill child and his or her family to take vacation at a resort of their choosing. Special/Outdoor Events Chair Mark Horton is working on a dating match survey and Spring Fling. The annual Spring Fling event will be held, as always, at Disneyland for Pepperdine students, but the date is yet to be determined.
Kasalek said this concert taught him much about event management, and about Pepperdine.
It really taught me how strong of a team we have here at this University,” Kasalek said. “What makes Pepperdine is the people at Pepperdine. Not the location, not the academics or anything like that. It’s the core people we have here that drive everything we do.”
Submitted February 26, 2004
MALIBU, CA
