Despite rainstorms that forced CatFest patrons into the Student Union Memorial Center’s Grand Ballroom from the UA Mall, musicians entertained approximately 500 students at the event Friday.

Tucson band AV opened the concert with a 30-minute set, as the college-aged ensemble played for an energetic crowd.

“”We like to flow through the college scene,”” said Brandon Turner, AV vocalist. “”We love the college crowd.””

Up-and-coming band Head Automatica also played in the free concert. The New York-based quintet performed for 50 minutes.

The UA has put on CatFest for college students since 1997, according to Tommy Bruce, president of the Associated Students of the University of Arizona. ASUA and the University Activities Board hosted the event to serve as a finale to Wildcat Welcome Week.

In previous years, bands such as Gym Class Heroes, Rufio and Death Cab for Cutie have performed.

Bruce said the event’s organizers tried to emphasize the “”fest”” aspect. Free and legal music-sharing program Ruckus was introduced to students, volunteers were registering voters for upcoming elections and Nike launched a studentT-shirt design contest.

Bruce said event planners had hoped to exceed the previous year’s turnout of nearly 1,000 attendees, but the concert attracted about 750 people at most, according to Andrew Stanley, ASUA director of special events.

In previous years, ASUA and the University Activities Board have charged for admission into CatFest, Bruce said, which resulted in revenue for the organizations to pay for facilities.

This year, the groups pooled resources to provide a free concert, as ASUA used 12 percent of its special-events budget, Stanley said.

Kiel Siler, a music sophomore, thought the UA made a great decision in hosting the event.

“”It’s nice to have an institution that is in tune with what students really want,”” Siler said.

Some students said the event helped them feel a sense of camaraderie.

“”It’s nice to know that other people are interested in the same things as me,”” said Brittany Gene, a nutritional sciences and dietetics freshman. “”It makes me feel welcome.””

At the end of the concert, an uproar of cheer erupted when Bruce announced that the Plain White T’s would be the headliner for an Oct. 2 concert at Centennial Hall.

Bruce said it would be a closed concert, geared specifically toward UA students and their guests. Tickets are expected to go on sale during the first two weeks of September.