Tickets for Feb. 19 show go on sale Thursday

Alternative-rock band Sugar Ray is coming to Centennial Hall next month, UAB will announce today.

The nationally acclaimed rock band is performing a concert at the University of Arizona at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 19. Student tickets, which cost $15, go on sale Thursday at 10 a.m. in Centennial Hall, and tickets for the general public go on sale Jan. 21 for $17.50. Tickets will be reserved and offered on a first-come, first-serve basis.

"We expect the concert to sell out, and Centennial Hall holds 2,456," said J.J. Kruglick, University Activities Board Concerts director. "It will be one of the cooler shows at Centennial Hall."

The concert will feature new songs off the band's recently released album including "When It's Over" and "Answer the Phone."

Students may have some doubts about the stability of another concert after several recent attempts to bring big-name bands, such as Eve 6, to campus fell through, but Kruglick said that cancellation "is not a concern this time."

A common reason for event cancellation is what UAB refers to as "one-offs," where a band backs out because it is making a special trip to UA, as opposed to stopping during a tour.

"If a band is flying out just to do our show, they'll sometimes cancel or one-off," Kruglick said. "But Sugar Ray is already on a scheduled tour, and he'll be in Reno right before he comes here."

UAB has experienced difficulties in scheduling past concerts, often due to little venue availability.

"Between UApresents dates that have already been set, it's really hard for us to find any availability," Kruglick said.

In the past, many concerts have been cancelled for various reasons.

"Sometimes concerts just haven't worked out," said Dana Verbin, UAB assistant director. "Band members have gotten sick, or tour routing has been too difficult."

The decision to bring Sugar Ray to campus was influenced by several factors, including its previously established tour during the same time and its popularity among UA students.

"We got a block of dates in Centennial Hall to bring concerts to campus, so we looked at who was touring during that time and decided on Sugar Ray," Kruglick said. "We try to mix things up, bring a diverse range of acts to campus and shows that students will go to. This time it's alternative rock."

UAB conducted an online survey to determine which performances UA students most enjoy, and Sugar Ray received high ratings.

"Sugar Ray is a fun band that will work well at Centennial Hall," Verbin said. "The band is popular with our age group. We have an online survey for what people would like to see, and they requested Sugar Ray."

Overnight camping for the tickets is prohibited, but students can start lining up at 8 a.m. on Thursday. Tickets can also be ordered by phone through the Centennial Hall Box Office at 621-3341.