Events
311, Lynyrd Skynyrd
November, 2003
311, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and others rock Clemson The staff of Littlejohn Coliseum was extra busy during the month of November as they played host to two concerts within two weeks of each other.
311 and Alien Ant Farm played in the facility on Tuesday, November 4. This concert was fully produced and promoted by Tiger Paw Productions, according to Marty Kern, director of major events at Littlejohn Coliseum.
“311 has had great success as a touring act and we were excited about rounding out our fall concert line up to include this hard rocking band,” Kern said. “The fact that the opening act, Alien Ant Farm, also had a new album freshly out added to the interest we had in bringing this tour to Clemson.”
Although the 1,500 paid fans was a disappointing turnout, those that came were glad they did. The acoustics were awesome and the set was visually exciting, she added. Littlejohn also out-sold a Charlotte venue for the same concert the following night, so the low attendance may have been more a symptom of price and the day of the week than anything else.
“Part of our job in being stewards of the concert committee allocation is to bring diversity into the venue,” Kern said. In the four months that we have been open since the renovations, we have produced concerts in four major musical genres: country with Hank Williams Jr., rap with Bubba Sparxxx, Pastor Troy and Three 6 Mafia, Modern Rock with 311 and Classic Southern Rock with Lynyrd Skynyrd. This variety of entertainment is good for the students, the community and the venue. I am pleased that Littlejohn Coliseum events have had media attention from every major radio station in our market this semester.”
Lynyrd Skynyrd with 38 special was an all-around great night at Littlejohn Coliseum. Littlejohn utilized several new sponsors who were very happy with the venue and the bands put their heart and soul into the performance. The Clemson concert outsold several other markets with 3375 tickets sold, which was a strong indicator that Littlejohn and Clemson are viable stops for other touring acts.
“The band even called the promoter from the road, after they had left Littlejohn, to tell us what a great time they had playing our date and what great fans we had here in Clemson,” Kern said. “When a band who has toured as long as they have stops to make a call like that, it really means something.”
The student crews and the team assembled for the Lynyrd Skynyrd show were second to none. While there are still many ways for improvement, the fact that the staff is this smooth already is a testimony to the dedication of the staff, the student leaders and their crews. It is always amazing how many people have to come together to make these shows happen from marketing, to box office, to production, to security, to guest services, concessions and hospitality -- and when it is all over, you hope everyone involved knows how much their effort matters, Kern said.
“Production inside went smooth,” said Brent Comer, Director of Operation at Littlejohn. “They had a larger stage and more lighting than normal. The production manager, band, and crews really liked the building.
“Collectively, we in Student Affairs share a big vision for the Littlejohn coliseum, and I believe we are off to a good start toward our goals,” Kern said. “This spring look for court action with Tiger Basketball, more A-list concerts, more special events, the annual Tigergras celebration, a huge comedy event and a few surprises!”