8SRLVR
03-05-2007, 05:43 PM
From The Houston Chronicle:
A Hannah Montana bonanza at the rodeo
By Alexis Grant
Reliant Park had never been so pink.
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo grounds were swarming Sunday afternoon with young girls in pink cowboy hats and boots, pink shirts and skirts, even pink boas, all for — and you've gotta scream it — Hannah Montana!
So many fans visited the rodeo to see the pop star perform that they set a new paid attendance record of 73,295. The rodeo rookie's debut beat the previous mark set last year by 15-time RodeoHouston performers Brooks & Dunn by 428.
It was obvious from the high-pitched screams that filled Reliant Stadium that Hannah Montana, a fictional Disney Channel character played by Miley Cyrus, did not let her fans down.
"I loved it!" said Katie Estelle Klaff, 8, echoing the response of nearly every girl who was lucky enough to get a seat in the packed stadium. "She sings really loud and she danced a lot and she didn't just stand there."
"It's like get up and dance!" said Maggie Boyle, 11, of Webster.
Lots of girls did just that during the 30-minute concert, while moms and dads looked on.
"For a 14-year-old, she puts on a heck of a show," said Ron Coben of West University, who brought his twin son and daughter, plus a friend for each.
Once Hannah Montana was chauffeured out of the arena in a fancy red car — typical for an everyday teenager who lives a double life as a rock star — the Cheetah Girls took the stage, and the screaming began again.
Young fans weren't the only ones who left Reliant Park happy. The large crowds made for better-than-average business for food and souvenir vendors around the park.
"I haven't moved since a quarter to 11," said Leia Copeland, who works for Henna Tattoos & Face Painting. A line formed outside of her booth as she painted a pink butterfly mask on a little girl. "This is way outta control," said her husband, David Copeland, who also was painting the face of a little girl.
At a cowboy hat stand run by Risoli Enterprises, Larry Feaster said sales had been steady all day.
"I'm selling a lot of pink, but I'm selling a lot of black, too," Feaster said. "They all come as a family and they go and get one for the young man, too."
Even alcohol, despite the heavy pre-teen turnout, was selling well, said Raymond Harvey, who works at a Miller Lite stand where machines stirred frozen margaritas.
"A lot of moms need some relaxation of some sort," Harvey said.
Indeed, some moms had worked hard for the event — like Jennifer Boyd of Crosby and Kristin Lewis of Baytown. They arrived at the park mid-afternoon with three mini Hannah Montanas in tow: their daughters and a friend, all dressed in Hannah-like black boots, pink outfits and, most importantly, blonde wigs.
"We shopped our butts off for the last month to piece them all together," Boyd said.
The concert was the rodeo's hottest ticket ever. When 70,000 tickets went on sale in January, they sold out in three minutes. And 3,000 standing-room only tickets that were up for grabs Saturday were gone in no time.
That didn't go unnoticed by scalpers, who offered tickets for at least twice their face value.
Several of the concert-goers said they felt fortunate to have gotten seats.
"We bought our tickets two months ago," said Katina Wilhite of Katy. "When they first came out, we got 'em."
A Hannah Montana bonanza at the rodeo
By Alexis Grant
Reliant Park had never been so pink.
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo grounds were swarming Sunday afternoon with young girls in pink cowboy hats and boots, pink shirts and skirts, even pink boas, all for — and you've gotta scream it — Hannah Montana!
So many fans visited the rodeo to see the pop star perform that they set a new paid attendance record of 73,295. The rodeo rookie's debut beat the previous mark set last year by 15-time RodeoHouston performers Brooks & Dunn by 428.
It was obvious from the high-pitched screams that filled Reliant Stadium that Hannah Montana, a fictional Disney Channel character played by Miley Cyrus, did not let her fans down.
"I loved it!" said Katie Estelle Klaff, 8, echoing the response of nearly every girl who was lucky enough to get a seat in the packed stadium. "She sings really loud and she danced a lot and she didn't just stand there."
"It's like get up and dance!" said Maggie Boyle, 11, of Webster.
Lots of girls did just that during the 30-minute concert, while moms and dads looked on.
"For a 14-year-old, she puts on a heck of a show," said Ron Coben of West University, who brought his twin son and daughter, plus a friend for each.
Once Hannah Montana was chauffeured out of the arena in a fancy red car — typical for an everyday teenager who lives a double life as a rock star — the Cheetah Girls took the stage, and the screaming began again.
Young fans weren't the only ones who left Reliant Park happy. The large crowds made for better-than-average business for food and souvenir vendors around the park.
"I haven't moved since a quarter to 11," said Leia Copeland, who works for Henna Tattoos & Face Painting. A line formed outside of her booth as she painted a pink butterfly mask on a little girl. "This is way outta control," said her husband, David Copeland, who also was painting the face of a little girl.
At a cowboy hat stand run by Risoli Enterprises, Larry Feaster said sales had been steady all day.
"I'm selling a lot of pink, but I'm selling a lot of black, too," Feaster said. "They all come as a family and they go and get one for the young man, too."
Even alcohol, despite the heavy pre-teen turnout, was selling well, said Raymond Harvey, who works at a Miller Lite stand where machines stirred frozen margaritas.
"A lot of moms need some relaxation of some sort," Harvey said.
Indeed, some moms had worked hard for the event — like Jennifer Boyd of Crosby and Kristin Lewis of Baytown. They arrived at the park mid-afternoon with three mini Hannah Montanas in tow: their daughters and a friend, all dressed in Hannah-like black boots, pink outfits and, most importantly, blonde wigs.
"We shopped our butts off for the last month to piece them all together," Boyd said.
The concert was the rodeo's hottest ticket ever. When 70,000 tickets went on sale in January, they sold out in three minutes. And 3,000 standing-room only tickets that were up for grabs Saturday were gone in no time.
That didn't go unnoticed by scalpers, who offered tickets for at least twice their face value.
Several of the concert-goers said they felt fortunate to have gotten seats.
"We bought our tickets two months ago," said Katina Wilhite of Katy. "When they first came out, we got 'em."