http://m.bgdailynews.com
by: Robyn L. Minor
The general public now has a chance to get free tickets for the John Mellencamp concert Saturday at Houchens-Smith Stadium.
About 800 of the 22,000 tickets remained late Wednesday, according to Brad Howard, Warren County president for concert sponsor Independence Bank.
People who want to attend the concert can visit Independence’s new location on Scottsville Road and get their IDs and a ticket, according to Howard.
To get into the concert, people have to present a ticket and an Independence ID.
“And we want to stress that even though this is a free concert, we would really like for people to bring canned goods so we can send them to local food banks,” he said.
Howard said gates for the concert open at 4:30 p.m., with the opening act Court Yard Hounds beginning about 6:30 p.m.
“We anticipate Mellencamp taking the stage at about 8 p.m.,” Howard said. “We will make our check presentation to Farm Aid in between performances.”
That check will include a $50,000 donation from the bank and $19,000 it raised in an auction to sell VIP seats, autographed guitars and a meet and greet with Mellencamp. Farm Aid was co-founded by Mellencamp.
T-shirts also will be sold for $15, with all the proceeds benefiting Farm Aid. The shirts were donated through Farm Aid by Anvil, and Blue Cotton of Bowling Green is doing the screen printing.
“So we could potentially be donating almost $100,000 to Farm Aid,” Howard said.
Western Kentucky University will sell refreshments at the concert, the proceeds of which will go to the university. The university also will charge for parking in the two nearby parking structures and the Creason lot. All the other lots will be free.
Howard said he expects there will be some tailgating going on in the Creason lot, where some radio stations are expected to set up camp.
[And thanks to Jen Bronkenant, my Farm Aid friend/professional photographer for sending me this article. See you at Farm Aid!
See her art at www.]