Jason Aldean Concert to Bring 65,000 People and 30,000+ Cars to Athens, Ga.

The 65,000 people who come to the Jason Aldean concert at Sanford Stadium on April 13 won't resemble the thousands who come for University of Georgia football games.

For one, they won't be keyed up going in, worrying their team may lose or a player may get hurt. And no matter what happens, they won't be upset coming out, they'll be happy.

For another, many of those coming to enjoy a concert by a country music star haven't ever been in Athens. They don't know the streets, the buildings or the shortcuts.

And unlike the football fans, some of whom have been parking and tailgating in the same spot for decades, many in the music crowd won't know where to park. University officials are sending out information and maps, trying to pre-sell some of the available 10,700 parking spaces. So far, said Josh Brooks, of the UGA Athletic Association, only 3,000 have been sold.

There're other events in Athens on that April Saturday--at the Performing Arts Center, the Fine Arts Building and the Classic Center. It's going to be a banner day for the downtown restaurants, bars and shops--it's like adding another home football game to the schedule, some have said.

So where will the other 62,000 people leave their cars? Probably somewhere downtown.

Brooks told the board of the Athens Downtown Development Authority that this is going to be an experiment--if things go well, there will be other concerts staged at Sanford Stadium. But probably after commencement, said Pat Allen, who handles community relations for UGA.

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