Sunday, Apr. 26, 2009

Fair fans overnight in Kennewick for concert tickets

By Sara Schilling, Herald staff writer

KENNEWICK MJ Bishop waited in line for 25 hours to buy tickets to see The Beach Boys and Clint Black perform at the Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo in August.

It was so cold overnight that he wore his coat and boots inside his sleeping bag. Even the heaters that fair workers set up didn't keep him from shivering, he said.

But "it was worth it," he said.

Bishop, 30, of Kennewick was able to get front-row seats for the shows when the tickets went on sale at 8 a.m. Saturday. There were only two others in line when he showed up at 7 a.m. the day before, he said. But by Friday night, "it kind of exploded," he said.

Lori Lancaster, fair manager, said there were more than 50 people in line at 4 a.m. Saturday.

All of the 720 reserved seat tickets for The Beach Boys sold out, she said. People still can see the show by purchasing general admission tickets.

Reserve seats remain available for the other concerts. In addition to The Beach Boys and Black, the other headliners this year are America, Night Ranger and Bucky Covington.

The other top-selling item was carnival wrist bands at a special Saturday-only rate, Lancaster said. Nearly 1,650 were sold.

Wrist bands and all other fair tickets -- including to the demolition derby and rodeo -- are available on the fair's website. People also can buy them at the fair office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays starting Monday.

Bishop said he'd never camped out for fair concert tickets before but was inspired because "this is the best lineup I've seen in a long time."

He grew up listening to Black's music, and he and his wife love The Beach Boys, he said. He's seeing the country concert with friends and taking his wife, Shelley, to see the California rock band.

The experience of waiting in line will add to the fun, he said.

"The biggest thing I'll remember is that the time went by fast because there were great people to talk with," he said. "It might have been colder than ever, but I thought it was a neat experience."

* On the net: www.bffairrodeo.com.