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Concert at Oak Canyon Ranch Canceled

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TIMES STAFF WRITER

A rock concert scheduled for today to benefit the Orangewood Children’s Home has been canceled, organizers said Saturday.

More than 2,000 tickets at $8 apiece were sold for the event, which was to have been held at Oak Canyon Ranch, near Irvine Lake, said an angry Tony Cardullo, who promoted the event for Fountain Valley-based Taurus Enterprises.

Tickets can be refunded at the point of purchase or held for a rescheduling of the event Saturday or July 16 at a site still to be determined, according to taped information on the concert hot line.

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Cardullo said he was informed late Friday afternoon by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department that the event--which Cardullo described as “alternative rock ‘n’ roll”--would have to be canceled because he had not acquired the proper permits.

He called the cancellation arbitrary and discriminatory against rock music. The ranch carried the permits and has held many concerts without interference, he said.

“It’s a cut-and-dried case of discrimination,” said Cardullo, 25, a Fountain Valley resident. “Oak Canyon has been doing this kind of thing for 11 months. Whatever was wrong all of a sudden became wrong because of the style of music. If this were a country show, there would be no problem.”

Sheriff’s Lt. William Francis refuted Cardullo’s version of what happened, saying the department is not responsible for granting permits. The county Fire Department refused to sanction the event and denied the permits, Francis said.

“It’s not that we are shutting it down. We went out and found there were no permits,” Francis said. “If county fire is not going to sanction this, we have no choice. We don’t make up the laws, we just obey them and enforce them.”

A spokesman for the Fire Department said Saturday he knew nothing of the event or the cancellation of the show, billed as “Independent’s Day ’94.”

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The groups slated to play included Standing Hawthorne, Freak Daddy, Jimmy Eat World, Egg Beater and One Eye Open.

“This is not rap, heavy metal or punk, this is alternative music,” said Cardullo of the more than 30 bands scheduled to play at the event. “It’s just like the music that drew 17,000 people to Irvine Meadows about three weeks ago with no problems.”

Cardullo said he plans to hold a protest today over the show’s cancellation at the Sheriff’s Department headquarters in Santa Ana.

Orangewood spokesman Frank Martinez said the home had helped promote the concert on radio station KROQ and was expecting a portion of the proceeds, but was not involved in sponsoring the event.

For more information about refunds, call the concert information line at (714) 991-2055.

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