The annual kickoff concert CatFest rocked the UA last night after 1,000 students showed to see Rufio and other bands, doubling last year's attendance.
The event, organized by the University Activities Board and the Associated Students of the University of Arizona, featured punk bands Rufio, The Spill Canvas and Your Name in Lights.
The Student Union Memorial Center Grand Ballroom was crowded with standing students who simply listened, or, for the more enthusiastic fans, danced, crowd-surfed or shouted the cheer "Ru-fi-ooooo!"
Rufio guitar player Clark Domae said he expected no more than 100 people to come to the show, adding that it was "amazing" that so many people came.
"It's a good crowd, and they seem pretty rowdy," said Domae just before taking the stage. "It will probably be one of the best shows of the tour."
Kristen Maryn, the UAB concert director, said the possibility of future performances depended on the success of this year's CatFest because she would need to prove the event would make enough money to cover total expenses.
Last year, about 500 students came to the CatFest performance to see The PharCyde, which was a far cry from the 900 attendees who came to see Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers in 2003, and the 1,900 fans of Goldfinger in 2002, said Ryan Patterson, ASUA special events coordinator.
Long-time Rufio fan Richard Cordova said he was surprised at freshman orientation when he heard Rufio was coming to the UA for a free concert.
"I stopped breathing almost," said Cordova, a mechanical engineering freshman.
Shawn Cole, a physiology junior, said he began listening to Rufio a few months ago and was pleased the UA hosted a big band.
"That's pretty cool that the UA would do something like that," Cole said
The total for bringing in the three bands was $5,250, which came out of the $40,000 ASUA special events budget, Patterson said.
Patterson estimated about $3,500 was spent on advertising for the event, which included newspaper ads and fliers on the UA Mall and at freshman orientation.
Patterson said the UofA Bookstores fronted some of the initial costs.
UAB also held a raffle in which students could win $25 gift certificates to the UofA Bookstores and a UA late night was held after the concert finished for students in Wilbur's underground until 4 a.m.
The Grand Ballroom was a cool temperature and was not affected by the broken air conditioning unit in the student union.