Gary Allan's Concert Promoter is Bullish on the San Angelo Market

SAN ANGELO, TX — The Concho Valley Spring Jam starts Saturday, May 5, with a VIP “pre-party” at 4 p.m. at the 1st Community FCU Spur Arena’s Sale Pavilion. The concert, headlined by country music star Gary Allan, and opened by the Eli Young Band along with Phil Hamilton, begins at 6:30 p.m.

Kris Randolph, owner of VIP Sports Getaway in Abilene, is the promoter for the show. This is his second concert he produced in San Angelo. Last year, he brought Gary Allan and Tracy Byrd to the RiverStage. That show sold the most tickets in recent history for that venue, around 5,100 total attended.

“We were a little worried about bringing Gary Allan here again, one year later,” Randolph said about the show’s preparations more than six month ago. Last year, Randolph said they went for an older demographic with two older Nashville country acts. This year, he hoped to attract a younger crowd with Eli Young while keeping concertgoers from last year engaged because of Allan’s large local fan base.

The promo video for the concert:
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How successful will he be?

The show this year is in a venue that holds less, about 3,500. Advance ticket sales have been brisk. There are about 500 tickets left for sales at the door. Randolph attributes this to not only having two popular Texas Country acts open, but also the reputation he built last year by providing a good experience for all.

Randolph’s primary business is operating a fleet of luxury coach buses in Abilene that transport corporate clients to Dallas Cowboys games at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. He is known in Arlington for holding the largest pre-game tailgate at all home Cowboys games. But during the off-season, he needed something else to do. Catering to corporate clients taught Randolph how to attract sponsorships.

His sponsorships focus as much on human resources recruitment and retention as they do on retail advertising. Included in his sponsorships, which are sold out, are large blocks of VIP tickets and “meet and greet” opportunities with the performing celebrities in addition to the pre-party. At the pre-party, barbecue from The Pit Barbecue will be served. Providing a VIP experience to employees gives corporate sponsors a chance to thank sales teams for good sales numbers, or for manufacturing companies to reward workers for good safety practices, for example.

In the concert business, sponsorships give Randolph more runway ahead of him, allowing the opportunity to take bigger risks with the costs of artists.

This helps with advance ticket sales. If you ask any good concert promoter or promoter’s consultant, they will explain that the act you book as the headliner is the most important determining factor in the success of the show. Gary Allan draws big in these parts. The Eli Young Band does well, too.

Randolph is bullish on the San Angelo market for concert entertainment. He said advance ticket sales here can outpace other markets. He is also attracted to the variety of venues available.

“Since this concert was in May, we were a little concerned about spring weather,” Randolph said. That’s why he chose the Spur Arena instead of the open air RiverStage this time around. “I also think its good to mix it up a little,” he said.

Saturday’s concert’s headline sponsor is All American Chevrolet of San Angelo. The doors open at 5:30 p.m. You can still purchase advance tickets for less than the door price at Stubwire until midnight. Ticket prices increase the day of the show. Get tickets to the Concho Valley Spring Jam featuring Gary Allan, Eli Young Band, and Phil Hamilton here.