Alcohol sales start at Thompson-Boling — a sobriety test, Santa Vol and lots of beer

School’s out for summer, but Alice Cooper still took the stage on UT-Knoxville's campus Saturday night – the first time beer was sold at Thompson-Boling Arena. Going into the show, we had no clue what to expect.

Would beer drinkers stampede the alcohol stands and chug their drinks to show off to friends? No.

Would soda drinkers scorn the beer drinkers and protest their choice to indulge? No.   

Would Alice Cooper take the stage caked in makeup and twirling a cane? Absolutely.

For the most part, nothing seemed too out of the ordinary. University spokeswoman Tyra Haag said in a text message that the concert was a successful test run and that "no significant issues" occurred.

Really, the only thing that seemed different were the cups in people’s hands.

Loving the new option

That’s not to say people didn’t happily embrace the new option.

“I think it’s awesome,” said Dean Halm of Friendsville. “You want to be at a venue, you want to do some stuff, you want some beer. If you don’t have it, you’ll have to drink soda. We don’t drink soda. We have plenty of water. But beer? Yeah, it’s great.”

Halm emphasized the importance of drinking responsibly. He and his wife “love the Uber.”

“I love drinking beer while doing things that I love – hunting, fishing and concerts,” he said. “But beer is after the hunt. You don’t drink and shoot guns. I'm going to get that clear OK?”

Saturday night was the first time Halm attended an event at Thompson-Boling. But Santa Vol has been coming to the arena for the past 20 years or so, although Neyland Stadium is more his place.

While he wasn’t dressed like Santa Claus at the Alice Cooper concert, the Vol football tattoo on his calf gave him away. Because he was trying his best to be incognito, we will maintain his anonymity.

“It’s weird — just walking by and seeing the beer kiosk stuff,” he said. “It’s just strange to see at Thompson-Boling Arena because it’s forever been — you would see the little bottles people snuck in.”

Santa Vol was drinking soda Saturday. We always took him for more of a milk and cookies kind of guy. But does he plan on putting people on the naughty list for choosing to have a beer?

“I’m more toward the indifferent side,” he said. “I honestly think the people who are like, ‘Oh my god, they’re going to be drinking’— like, have you been to any event in the past 50 years?”

He’s been going to Vol football games since he was in 8th grade, and even he would embrace a change to allow beer sales at his beloved Neyland Stadium.

Over-consumption concern?

While some people on social media are concerned about over-consumption and drunk driving, he has the mindset of those who think selling beer could cut down on people drinking heavily before events.

Brianna Johnston, who tends to “pre-game” before concerts, bought alcohol Saturday — even though she thought $13 for a beer was expensive.

“People (buy beer) just because you’re here, so you kind of have to do it,” she said.

But what if beer weren't available? Would she still come?

“I would just pre-game before I came here,” she said. “I already did — not gonna lie. … I still feel like I’m going to pre-game so I don’t have to buy as much here because of the price. I could buy like a whole 12-pack for this.”  

During the concert, which we left after the first Alice Cooper song, we saw one person given a sobriety test and one person handcuffed after being questioned by police at an alcohol stand.

The person given the test was allowed to go back to his seat, but we aren't really sure what happened to the other guy. 

Beer lines never seemed congested, and no one really seemed to be stumbling around — despite the opening band’s request that people “fill up that cup” to make their music sound better.

Everything seemed to go smoothly from an outside perspective. But to be fair, there did seem to be as many empty seats in the bowl as there were occupied ones.

So how will a seemingly smooth night featuring a 71-year-old performer and a slim audience impact beer sales at future events?

Only time will tell.