A true idol to make Regency appearance

By Janine Anderson

Friday, April 22, 2005 2:06 AM CDT

RACINE - American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino will give a short concert tomorrow at Regency Mall, giving fans and mall walkers a chance to hear her sing in person - and for free.

Barrino is the second artist WXSS (103.7 FM, commonly known as KISS FM) is bringing to Racine. Last year Avril Lavigne gave a short concert at the mall that drew thousands of people.

"It's good to be able to bring free music to people, with the way ticket prices are," said KISS FM Marketing Director Natalie DiPietro. "Especially when it's in a mall, there's families, mall walkers, big, tall, small, everybody. It's good exposure for the artist as well, and for people who maybe haven't watched American Idol."

These short, free concerts are extremely popular, DiPietro said. Turnout was high for Lavigne's visit last year, and KISS FM saw about 3,000 people come to Gurnee Mills recently for a concert by Jesse

McCartney.

"Space is going to be extremely limited," Riollo said. "We're having the concert by the Sears court, but there's only so much the Sears court can handle. The mall doors will open at 10. How early people want to be there will be up to them."

Despite the concert's crowds, Regency Mall's Marketing Director Kelly Riollo said the mall will be open to shoppers.

"We would love shoppers to come and shop, though the Sears area will be congested," Riollo said. "We definitely want to invite our shoppers to enjoy this experience we're bringing to them. We're trying to do events that are bigger and better this year and certainly Fantasia's a great way to set off the year."

The concert is sponsored by KISS FM, Regency Mall and locally by Towne Ford.

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