KCRW calls off 'Sounds Eclectic Evening' show

Public radio station KCRW-FM (89.9) is calling off its annual "Sounds Eclectic Evening" multi-artist concert fundraiser this year after shifting the time frame of the event earlier this
year from spring to fall.

The show had been slated this year for Oct. 12 at the 6,200-seat Gibson Amphitheatre with headliner k.d. lang and support acts including Bajofondo, the Duke Spirit and “more artists to be announced
and special surprise guests.”

But the rest of the bill didn’t materialize because the summer concert festival circuit “which was particularly robust this year, created a challenging environment for filling out a seven-band bill,” according to a statement the station issued today [FRI5].

“We’ve always had a high standard for the bands we’ve invited to play this concert and changing the date to fall -– at the end of the summer festival season -– proved to be a bigger
hurdle than we were expecting,” said Nic Harcourt, KCRW music director and host of its
“Morning Becomes Eclectic” show.

Lang’s performance will be shifted to the 500-seat Malibu Performing Arts Center on the same night and it will be presented as part of the station’s recently inaugurated KCRW Sessions series. Refunds will be made to those who bought tickets for the "Sounds Eclectic Evening" show, and they will be given priority to buy seats for the downscaled lang concert, KCRW’s statement said. Tickets will be $150
and $250, and proceeds will benefit the station.

— Randy Lewis

Photo by EPA/JEAN-CHRISTOPHE BOTT

Comments

[Brien Comerford]

KD Lang scheduled to perform in front of 500 people will be ethereal. The Buddhist/Lesbian?Vegetarian crooner arguably has the most pure and powerful voice in all of music. She can covre all genres of music especially torch and lounge. Her tender ballads are the best especially her cover of Jane Siberry's "In The Valley."

[Bill Z]

Sorry to see the event be cancelled.

Having attended the event in 2007 with "platinum seating" and vowed to return in 2008, I was disappointed that the event moved to a sunday night, dropped the after party for premium ticket holders, raised prices, then on checkout from ticketmaster required me to pay for express shipping on tickets that were already over $300 each.

I know there were a lot of bands touring this summer and that is what this is being blamed on, but I sense there are other drivers here. The economy is tougher, more seats are going unsold for concerts, and as a premium ticket buyer for this event -- the increase in price with the huge decrease in benefits (after party) stopped me from buying a ticket prior to the cancellation.

If the tickets were selling well prior to the cancellation -- then I guess that my issue was not others, but from conversations I have had it seems i'm not alone.