thursday, September 18, 1980
page 10
daily ncbraskan
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Explanation is given for heavy concert schedule
By Hollie Wieland
The scheduling of three concerts in three weeks has
prompted an explanation of the October schedule's organ
ization. Sports Center Manager Jim Ross, who is partially re
sponsible for scheduling the concernts, commented, "It's
just the way the ball bounced."
According to Ross, attempts have been made to get
concerts into the Bob Devaney Sports Center for a year,
but no performing artist has been willing to come. When
the opportunity arose for Elton John, Linda Ronstadt and
John Denver to come to the Sports Center, within a short
space of time, Ross decided, "We better take them while
we can get them."
In considering which performers would attract the pub
lic and be a safe investment for the sports center, Ross
claimed to have two main sources of counsel. Before
scheduling a concert, Ross said he talks with the perform
er's promoters and with managers of auditoriums in which
the artist has performed which are comparable to Lin
coln's. By ascertaining the group's popularity in cities
comparable to Lincoln, Ross said, he can get some idea of
the performer's success here.
Ross said he would continue to try to schedule con
certs as long as the shows do not interfere with any sche
duled sports events.
Financial bind
Martin Wood, program consultant for the University
Program Council, said he was afraid that three concerts
scheduled so close together might place a financial bind
on some students and not allow them to attend as many
as they want.
The Oct. 5 Elton John concert is promoted by Contemporary-New
West Productions, radio station KFMQ,
John Reid, and UPC. Tickets went on sale Wednesday for
$8 and $10.
UPC will make no profit from the concert, Wood said,
and serves only as a local promoter with responsibility for
ticket sales and student security. Profit for the Sports
Center will include the hall rental fee plus 10 percent of
the total ticket sales, Ross said.
The John Denver concert, promoted by Concerts West
and the Sports Center, will be Oct. 16. Tickets go on sale
next week and will cost $8.50, $10 and $1230. Hie Sport
Sports Center will be the only Lincoln sponsor earning a
profit on this concert, Schneider said.
$8, $9, $10 tickets
The Linda Ronstadt concert, promoted by Contemporary-New
West Productions, KFMQ radio station and
UPC, will be Oct. 25. Tickets go on sale this week and will
cost $8, $9 and $10. Seats located behind the stage will be
sold last at reduced prices.
UPC and the Sports Center will split the hall rental fee,
Wood said. UPC will earn at least $4,000 from the fee, he
said, and may get a percentage of the profit from T-shirt
sales.
Although Wood hopes for sellouts, he said he would
be satisfied if 10,000 tickets are sold for each UPC-spon-sored
concert. A sellout is anticipated for the Elton John
show and Paul Schneider, Sports Center administrative
assistant, said he was very pleased with Wednesday's sales.
Some students camped out at the Sports Center in
hopes of getting good seating, while a long line formed
early at the Nebraska Union outlet. Brandeis downtown
faced a morning rush of ticket seekers, which bought up
their 850-seat allotment in VA hours.
According to Schneider, there are still about 1,000
seats available for $8 and $10.
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Daily Nebraskan photo
Students line the halls of the Nebraska Union Wednesday morning to be assured of getting tickets to the Elton
John concert Oct. 6. About 1 ,000 tickets remain after the first day's sales.
'Blue Riddum Band' specialises in Jamaican music
' By Pat Higgins
"The Blue Riddum Band," playing through Saturday at
Lohmeir's Drumstick, 547 N. 48th St., is an unusual
group to be a success in the midwest. The band is oriented
towards reggae, a brand of music that is indigenous to the
small Caribbean island of Jamaica.
The Blue Riddum Band" plays reggae tightly and also
dips into a variety of other music genres with equal success.
Band members included Steve McLane on drums,
Andy Meyers on bass, Bob Zohn On guitars and vocals,
Scott Korchak on vocals and trumpet, Jack Blackett on
saxaphone and percussion, Pat Pierce on organ and bass
and David Lawrence on percussion.
"The roots of the band go back six years to a
group called "The Rhythm Functions," who were based
in Lawrence, Kan. as is the current edition of the band,"
Zohn said.
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Photo by Marii Billingdcy
The Blue Riddum Band" is playing through Saturday at Lohmeir's Drumstick.
Before that, the various members of the band were into
rhythm and blues, jazz, funk types of bands and the logi
cal progression led into the reggae," he said.
"I was living in Miami and heard early reggae like
Desmond Dekket and Eddie Lovette and that really
knocked me out," Zohn said.
This was well before Bob Marley became a super
star and even longer before crossover hits by everyone
from the Rolling Stones to Paul Simon ruled the charts,"
he said.
"If we were into it for the money, we would have quit
long ago," he said. "But it's the music we love and we
seem to be gaining more acceptance all the time."
Zohn is a relative newcomer to "The Blue Riddum
Band," joining last October. Prior to that, he had a solo
recording contract with Sunshine Records based in Miami,
home of Caribbean soul and party musk.
"K.C. of the Sunshine Band was the only other white
guy on the label. I put out two singles and if you want tc
hear them, they're on the jukebox at The Zoo," Zohn
said.
Asked about other bands in the reggae business today
Meyers said, "There's only about 200 great reggae groups
around but I particularly like "Culture," "Soul Syndi
cate, "Burning Spear" and "General Echo."
When asked about the commercially successful, by
reggae standards, acis like "The Specials" and "The Selec
ter,w Zohn was unsure of his opinion.
i did open for "The Selecter" in K.C. and that was
fun, Zohn said. "We also opened for Bob Marley lasi
year and he specifically asked for us this time so we oper
for him Oct. 20 in Kansas City. We're really looking for
ward to that." 6
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