Pasadena : Rock Concert Approved

Despite opposition from neighbors and members of a task force seeking ways to control the use of the Rose Bowl, the Board of Directors this week approved the first rock concert in the stadium in four years.

The six-hour concert, to be sponsored by the Pasadena chapter of the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People, is scheduled for June 20 and is expected to feature at least six music groups, which could include the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Patty Labelle and Smokey Robinson.

Nick Conway, president of the Linda Vista-Annandale Homeowner Assn. and a member of the city’s Arroyo Seco Task Force, argued against the NAACP concert, saying it would undermine the work of the task force and set a precedent that would encourage others to try to stage concerts at the Rose Bowl.

But the board approved the event, saying it would not set a precedent and would provide badly needed funds for the NAACP and other community groups. The board is scheduled to consider a moratorium on future concerts at the Rose Bowl next week.

The city expects to make about $85,000 from the concert through the sale of food, souvenirs and other concessions. The city has agreed to waive an estimated $130,000 in admission tax and rental fees for the event.

The NAACP estimates that it will make $100,000 to $250,000. Half of the proceeds will go for a new local NAACP headquarters, 20% will go to the national NAACP and the rest will go to community groups including the Pasadena Boys’ Club, the Jackie Robinson Center and the Kings Village Girl Scout troop, said chapter President Stephen Mack.