'Better Than Ezra' to perform benefit concert Saturday

By Grover Welch, Herald Staff

Arkansas State University students will have the chance to see bands they normally wouldn't see Saturday.

The bands, "Better Than Ezra," "Soul Cracker," "Star Roy," "Beanpoles" and "Convoy," will be part of a benefit concert for the Sept. 11 fund.

The concert will be at Arrowhead Point on campus, which was the location of this year's Homecoming bonfire.

"Better Than Ezra" and "Convoy" are currently on a U.S. tour and will follow-up the performance at ASU with one at Fayetteville. "Soul Cracker" was the winning band featured on VH1's "Bands on the Run."

The concert was organized by a local promotions company, Guinness Productions of Jonesboro, and the Tau Kappa Epsilon, the Pi Kappa Alpha and the Kappa Alpha fraternities.

"The Tau Kappa Epsilon, Pi Kappa Alpha and Kappa Alpha fraternities have all worked very hard to make this happen," said Keith Vines, a senior engineering major of St. Louis and TKE member. "Basically, the promotion company wanted to bring someone and looked for a sponsor on campus, we just stepped up to the challenge."

Guinness Productions was seeking to open the ASU campus for a younger audience, Vines said.

"The bands are all themed for a younger ASU student body and will put on a good show unlike any we've had for awhile," Vines said.

Pepsi, Spun Doctors and Backbeat Music all have contributed to the show. The PKA, KA and the TKE are all also building more than 1,000 feet of fence as well as performing load in and out duties at the event.

Tickets to the concert are $20 until the show and $25 at the gate. "The proceeds are all going to the Sept. 11 fund and will be donated in the name of the production company and all the organizations that participate," Vines said.

Students will enter and get armbands, after that they can purchase drinks and concessions inside, Vines said. " All the regular concert gear like T-shirts and CD's will be available inside also," He said.

"We've been planning for a month and hopefully the show will be a success, if so maybe this is the type of event that can happen yearly," Vines said.