Although Harlowe said the original contest contract called for a free concert for 1,000 to 3,000 fans, the fundraising nature of this particular concert opened the door to giving away fewer free tickets. Mineral officials have been going door-to-door to give those free wristbands to town residents.

"We didn't think we should get the concert for free," Harlowe said, speaking for the Town Council. She preferred doing away with free tickets altogether. "My suggestion was to have everyone pay the same price," she said.

While $42.50 tickets are not unusual for an Alan Jackson concert, they are a long way from free. They are also more expensive than the lawn seats for Jackson's Aug. 19 show at Wolf Trap in Vienna. Those go for $39.75, including ticket fees.

Harlowe said there was "a lot of hostility" from people purchasing tickets Wednesday.

"But it seemed like a lot of people wanted tickets," she said.

Jonas Beals: 540/368-5036
Email: jbeals@freelancestar.com