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Sugar Ray rocks Halenbeck Hall
 Media Credit: Michael Martin/Managing Editor Sugar Ray�s Mark McGrath entertains the audience at Halenbeck Hall Thursday night.
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 Media Credit: Michael Martin/Managing Editor Sugar Ray�s Mark McGrath sings to the Halenbeck Hall crowd. More than 2,000 people attended Thursday�s concert.
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 Media Credit: Michael Martin/Managing Editor A Sugar Ray fan screams while the band played Halenbeck Hall Thursday night. Sugar Ray also played in Winona, Bemidji and Grand Forks, N.D. the past weekend.
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A crowd of 2,050 spent Thursday night in Halenback Hall with Sugar Ray and opening acts Panoramic Blue and Alien Crime Syndicate.
Although the crowd was smaller than what University Program Board hoped for or expected � more than 5,000 attendees would have been necessary to sell out the show � Lindsay Albrecht, concert coordinator, is confident that the event turned out well for those who did attend.
"Of course we would have liked to sell more tickets, but I think those who did attend definitely had a good time."
When Sugar Ray took the stage after the two opening acts, they not only kept the audience well entertained with many familiar songs, they also got the audience involved.
When Sugar Ray decided to hop off the stage and maneuver through the bleachers full of people all the way up to the balcony, they caught the audience off guard. Sugar Ray picked out random audience members and put them on the spot to sing a line of "Fly." Although some of the voices were more pleasant than others, the audience definitely enjoyed the close contact with the band. Those who weren't approached by the band, danced along and watched eagerly to see what Sugar Ray's lead singer would do or where he would go next.
Lauren Wilken, concert volunteer, was excited when she learned that Sugar Ray would make an appearance at SCSU because their style of music satisfies many tastes.
"It's ironic; Sugar Ray is pop-like, but edgy sort of like a Blink-182-type of band. There are a lot of girl groupies that like them, but guys like them too," Wilken said. "It's always good to get a feel for the stage presence of a group to see what they are like in person."
Louie Low, an SCSU alumnus, was also impressed with the music Sugar Ray brought to the audience and enjoyed the performance of St. Cloud's very own Panoramic Blue, who opened for Sugar Ray.
"Sugar Ray played a good combination of hard rock, alternative and reggae music," Low said. "The St. Cloud band (Panoramic Blue) can go out on their own and be successful. They are a good-looking band with the right sounds and the right instincts to make it."
Wilken was also excited about Panoramic Blue's performance.
"This is the first time I heard them and that was nice for me 'cause I'm not 21 and I can't go see them at the Red Carpet when they play there," Wilken said. "I really liked them, and they're easy to dance along with."
Jenna Buescher, a junior concert committee member, agreed.
"Panoramic Blue was super great and got the crowd really riled up and ready for Sugar Ray," she said.
Although Udeesh Millanthe's job as concert technician may not sound desirable on the surface, he said that being required to work backstage is the best part of his job.
"You can talk to the bands and see them face to face," Millanthe said.
For concert goers, it is easy to overlook the details of what goes into putting a concert together. However, Albrecht is well aware of the what it takes.
"We had over 100 people working on this concert, and we have over 20 people on our committee. They put in so much time and commitment. On the day of the show people were there all day from morning until 3 a.m.," Albrecht said.
As a committee member, Buescher is confident that all musical tastes are taken into consideration as UPB decides which bands to try to bring to campus.
"There are 24 people on our committee and each of us has different tastes in music," Buescher said. "(Bringing different concerts and forms of entertainment to campus) shows that we care about what students want."
Why put in all that effort just to bring a concert to campus? For Albrecht, who holds a double role as concert coordinator, the answer is obvious.
"I think that it's a great experience (for people to be able to attend and put concerts together) because concerts are not only learning experiences, but also provide entertainment to students," she said. " I think it's good to be able to bring big acts to St. Cloud, Minn. That's something a lot of schools can't do."
As an alumnus, Low sees concerts on campus as a way to keep students well rounded, and to give students affordable access in a safe environment.
"I think it's good to have concerts at school, because they don't involve alcohol and you don't have to drive all the way to the Cities," Low said.
Sharon K. Sobotta can be reached at: [email protected]
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