Lack of interest forces Bellamy and Better Than Exra to cancel

CatKraze 2002, a show featuring comedian Bill Bellamy and alternative rock band Better Than Ezra, was canceled over the weekend due to lack of student interest.

Between 150-200 tickets were sold for the Centennial Hall show, which was scheduled for yesterday afternoon. Centennial has a seating capacity of 2,456.

Students who held tickets will be able to get full refunds through Centennial Hall. Ticket holders will be contacted at the beginning of this week, said Associated Students of the University of Arizona President Ray Quintero.

CatKraze was the third big-name show canceled this year but the first event called off due to lack of student interest.

The band 311 was scheduled to play Nov. 2 but canceled when it decided to return home from its tour. Eve 6, which was the headlining band at CatFest in August, withdrew from the concert because lead singer Max Collins had a severe case of laryngitis.

"It has been unfortunate the string of luck we have had putting on concerts," ASUA Sen. Josh Maxwell said.

Past cancellations have been out of ASUA's control, Quintero said.

He speculated that a combination of factors may have affected the lack of support for the concert, including the Sugar Ray concert sponsored by the University Activities Board, which is scheduled for Feb. 19.

"ASUA, when we planned this, wasn't aware of him coming · and that is something that we had to work with," Quintero said.

Maxwell said ticket prices for CatKraze - which ranged from $22-$25 - may have also driven students away, especially with the Sugar Ray concert coming up. Tickets for that event range from $17-$27.

Originally, ASUA planned on making less than $10,000 in profit from CatKraze. They were hoping to apply it to UA Rocks, a free concert planned for later in the spring, and help bring future guest speakers to campus.

ASUA is continuing to discuss whether it needs to pay the $35,500 it had planned to pay the performers. But Quintero said it was likely that Bellamy and Better Than Ezra would receive all the money.

By canceling the concert, ASUA saved $20,000, which would have been put to expenses such as lighting, sound, security and hospitality.

ASUA entertainment funds are not completely depleted, and they hope to work with UAB later this year on more student entertainment events, although there is nothing confirmed at this time.

"I think they will be planning something again of high quality for the student body," Maxwell said.