MINERAL, Va. (WTVR) - Since October the anticipation has been strummed up for country music star Alan Jackson’s free concert. Now tickets are on sale -- a seeming contradiction that has many residents confused.
Is it a free concert? Or a paid concert?
CBS 6 News' Tracy Sears reports there are 500 armbands that the town of Mineral is distributing to residents.
Residents must sign for them, but unfortunately there will not be enough to go around if everyone in town wants one. [WATCH: Tracy Sears' reports on the concert on CBS 6 News by clicking on the video above.]
For instance, there are 460 taxpaying residents, but that number does not include entire households.
Additionally, 500 tickets were gone by 12:30 Wednesday with another 500 coming via Fedex Thursday. These are sold tickets, not armband tickets.
Mineral's vice mayor said that it is disappointing, but that it was Capitol Records' decision.
The country music star will perform in the parking lot of Louisa High School on Sunday, May 20. Tickets went on sale April 4, at 10 a.m., Eastern time for “Alan Jackson: A Miracle for Mineral.”
Ticket are available through www.ticketfly.com. The price runs $42.50-$100.00.
Many CBS 6 viewers have called, written and commented on Facebook that they felt deceived, and had believed the concert would be free. Viewers have said that they voted in the contest thinking Jackson would be playing a truly free concert.
Jackson will play the concert because the town of Mineral won a national contest following last summer's historic earthquake. The little town of Mineral—population 490-- collected over 31,000 votes and won the opportunity to host the concert.
Viewers have said to us that they feel there was more damage in Louisa, so they don't understand why residents of Mineral get to go to the concert for free. Jackson has waived his fee for playing the concert, but the cost allegedly reflects the need for security, portable toliets and other logistics.
Luanne Von Tye left a comment on our Facebook pagethat reads as:
Have a big issue with the Alan Jackson concert...thought it was free? Tickets are $42.50-$100! In a high school parking lot no less!! I have spent hours online voting and recruiting friends and family out of state to vote, for this? What a joke! And only "some" of the proceeds go towards our schools? I would rather donate my money directly to the schools. A free concert should be just that, FREE! Offer tickets online at a first come, first served basis...any profits from t-shirts, souveniers, and food should be donated to the schools. Now, THAT would be free!!
The Central Virginian is reporting the concert is only free for Mineral residents, that’s 425 people, and supposedly that decision is made from Capitol Records.
Mineral continues to repair and rebuild after they were the epicenter of a rare East Coast earthquake that hit on August 23, 2011, causing widespread damage in the region.
Some of the money raised will go to the Louisa Education Foundation, which will be used to assist the schools forced to rebuild because of the earthquake damage.
Louisa Schools have also received an additional $3.8 million in funding from FEMA.
