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Addicted To Noise story
Farm Aid Concert Moved to Ill. Burb DALLAS (AP) - Stung by lagging ticket sales and a lack of corporate support, the organizers of Farm Aid '97 announced Wednesday that the Oct. 4 fund- raising concert has been moved from Texas Stadium to a Chicago suburb. The event now is scheduled for the 30,000-seat New World Music Theatre in Tinley Park, Ill., 20 miles southwest of downtown Chicago. Two weeks ago, Willie Nelson and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones announced plans for the concert at Texas Stadium in Irving, which had hoped to sell 50,000 tickets. "What we do is just look at our costs vs. the sales of tickets. It just wasn't there in Dallas," said Harry Smith, program director for Boston-based Farm Aid, adding that advance ticket sales were much lower than expected. In 1992, the last time Farm Aid was at Texas Stadium, 35,000 fans showed up. Since then, attendance has hovered between 35,000 and 50,000. Last year, about 40,000 people attended the Farm Aid concert in Columbia, S.C. This year's concert includes John Mellencamp, Neil Young, John Fogerty, the Dave Matthews Band and Nelson. Since Nelson, Mellencamp and Young founded Farm Aid in 1985, nine benefits have been held. Farm Aid, which also raises money from donations, TV specials and merchandise sales, has given more than $13 million to help family farmers. (c) 1997, The Associated Press. |