‘It’s crazy.’ Fan frenzy surrounded Britney Spears concert at Mid-State Fair
Celebrities are people too.
Pop star Taylor Swift recently called out Netflix show “Ginny & Georgia” for employing her name as a punchline in a “lazy, deeply sexist joke.”
It’s a sad pop culture tradition that after someone has been on a pedestal for a bit, insults or indifference follow.
The culture of celebrity offers scant support for those who may have mental health or substance abuse issues.
The latest documentary in FX’s The New York Times Presents series, “Framing Britney Spears,” examines pop star Britney Spears’s phenomenal career and personal struggles, as well as her court-sanctioned conservatorship.
Britney Spears visited San Luis Obispo County on her way up. She performed at the California Mid-State Fair in Paso Robles in July 1999, just six months after her single “Baby One More Time” hit No. 1 on the Billboard chart on Jan. 29, 1999 — propelling Spears to superstardom.
The 1999 fair set attendance records, up 15% from the previous year, as concertgoers flocked to see big grandstand acts including ZZ Top and Tim McGraw. But Spears’s concert likely generated the most fan frenzy.
Jennifer Knight captured the excitement surrounding Spears’s fair appearance in this July 31, 1999, article.
It was teens, teens, everywhere but not a Britney ticket to spare.
An estimated 65,000 people showed up at Friday’s Mid-State Fair. As the 8 p.m. Britney Spears concert neared, the frenzied search for last-minute tickets began on the fairgrounds.
At the Agricultural Stage, there were 172 people cordoned off in a waiting area. All tagged with numbers. All waiting for the chance to see Britney.There were, however, only 250 tickets available.
“I actually flew my niece down from Seattle,” said Denise Miel, 38 from San Mateo, also known as No. 99, while she stood in line.
“So actually this is quite an expensive show. She’d better be worth it.”
She added in a whisper, “I don’t even know who Britney Spears is.”
The first group of teens in line were Kristen Silva, 18, Treasa O’Neill, 18, both of Fresno, Katie Swanson, 15, and Katie Longcrier, 15, both from San Luis Obispo.The group had met in line while waiting since noon for the 5:30 p.m. give-away.
“We all bonded over Britney,” said O’Neill, who was branded with the No. 2.The group apparently also bonded over a kind and cute security guard who they just knew as Mike.
“Oh my God, he looked just like that guy in the Britney Spears video,” O’Neill said.
“Just by looking at us he motivated us to keep waiting.”
Others weren’t lucky enough to get into the waiting area.
One security guard who was there for only 45 minutes said he had already turned away more than 100 people, many of them angry.
A very disappointed 10-year-old Ashley Tellez was told that she was too late to get into the waiting area.
“I have her CD, and I know mostly all her songs,” she said. But without a chance to get a ticket, Tellez said she’ll just stand outside and listen to the music.
Attention, Kmart shoppers
A near mob scene over by the Kmart booth was apparently motivated by Britney tickets when the park announcer said, “Attention, over by the Kmart booth they will be giving away a pair of Britney Spears tickets at 5:30.”
The rush began almost immediately. While people prodded and pushed, one man cautioned his wife, “Don’t get sucked up in that mess. Just let it pass,” he said.
Other children began crying after being separated from their parents. A few worried parents searched around as well, saying, “She was just here, where did she go.”
Security officials said there were seven lost children on Friday. All were returned safely to their parents.
“Our success rate is real good on lost children. We’ve never lost a child,” said Jerry Cathey, the assistant chief of security.
When asked to describe the scene there, he had just a few words, “It’s crazy, but it’s under control.”
Hot dogging
While waiting for the concert to begin, a wise Nick Ledo, 15, from King City, decided to fuel up on hot dogs so he would have the energy to scream along with the 13,000 other fans at the concert.
He entered the Teen Hot Dog Eating contest and by making three corn dogs disappear in less than three minutes, he won.”Let me tell you, I practiced for this,” he said proudly.
His friend Shawn Simmons, 16, of Santa Cruz had eaten more but took his time doing it and took second place.
This story was originally published March 6, 2021 at 5:05 AM.
