Swift to play concert, ticket sales soar
Cody Mohon
Issue date: 10/9/08 Section: Culture
Tickets are going fast for the upcoming Taylor Swift concert in UTC's McKenzie Arena, according to Obie Webster, the Assistant Director of the McKenzie Arena.
The concert will be Oct. 18 at 8 p.m. and is open to the public, Webster said.
McKenzie Arena is a rental facility, and the concert was arranged when Taylor Swift's agency contacted the facility to check available dates and get the cost details, Webster said.
According to Webster, ticket prices range from $38.50 to $48.50, depending on the location of the seat.
Nathalia Vargas, a sophomore from Memphis, said she will not be attending the concert because of the costs, even though she is a Taylor Swift fan.
"She's our age, and I can relate to her. Her songs are especially relatable to the age group of college students," Vargas said.
Vargas also believes UTC does not host enough concerts for students at McKenzie Arena and current students should be allowed a discount for tickets they purchase.
Other students, like Brittany Brown, a sophomore from Chattanooga, are going to the event with their families.
"My little sister loves Taylor Swift, and my family has season tickets to the UTC basketball games, so we always get notified about events occurring at McKenzie Arena," Brown said. "We went to the Brad Paisley concert about a year ago, and she opened for him," she said. "We all liked her music, so we decided to go to her concert when we heard about it."
Andrew Noe, a UTC alumnus, said he also enjoyed Taylor Swift's performance at the Brad Paisley concert last year.
"It was cool seeing Taylor last year because she was brand new," Noe said. "Now she's quite popular."
Webster said at least two bands will open for Taylor Swift, but they are unknown until next week. McKenzie Arena will be set up with the stage against the wall of the student section, which will allow fans to sit in front or on either side of the stage, Webster said.
In the past, McKenzie Arena has played host to greats such as The Red Hot Chili Peppers and has a capacity for up to 11,000 people, Webster said.
Brown said she is excited about the concert, and she knows that McKenzie Arena has a reputation for hosting good events.
"The show is going well, we encourage anyone who wants to buy a ticket to go on out and purchase them," Webster said. "We still do have some seats available. Hopefully we can get a sold out show."
The concert will be Oct. 18 at 8 p.m. and is open to the public, Webster said.
McKenzie Arena is a rental facility, and the concert was arranged when Taylor Swift's agency contacted the facility to check available dates and get the cost details, Webster said.
According to Webster, ticket prices range from $38.50 to $48.50, depending on the location of the seat.
Nathalia Vargas, a sophomore from Memphis, said she will not be attending the concert because of the costs, even though she is a Taylor Swift fan.
"She's our age, and I can relate to her. Her songs are especially relatable to the age group of college students," Vargas said.
Vargas also believes UTC does not host enough concerts for students at McKenzie Arena and current students should be allowed a discount for tickets they purchase.
Other students, like Brittany Brown, a sophomore from Chattanooga, are going to the event with their families.
"My little sister loves Taylor Swift, and my family has season tickets to the UTC basketball games, so we always get notified about events occurring at McKenzie Arena," Brown said. "We went to the Brad Paisley concert about a year ago, and she opened for him," she said. "We all liked her music, so we decided to go to her concert when we heard about it."
Andrew Noe, a UTC alumnus, said he also enjoyed Taylor Swift's performance at the Brad Paisley concert last year.
"It was cool seeing Taylor last year because she was brand new," Noe said. "Now she's quite popular."
Webster said at least two bands will open for Taylor Swift, but they are unknown until next week. McKenzie Arena will be set up with the stage against the wall of the student section, which will allow fans to sit in front or on either side of the stage, Webster said.
In the past, McKenzie Arena has played host to greats such as The Red Hot Chili Peppers and has a capacity for up to 11,000 people, Webster said.
Brown said she is excited about the concert, and she knows that McKenzie Arena has a reputation for hosting good events.
"The show is going well, we encourage anyone who wants to buy a ticket to go on out and purchase them," Webster said. "We still do have some seats available. Hopefully we can get a sold out show."
