truebluefan

The hottest acts in America once stopped in Fayetteville.

Elvis Presley and Bob Hope visited during the 1970s. AC/DC, Deep Purple, KISS and Bob Seger played here at their heights in the ’70s and ’80s.

But somewhere along the way, the relationship between the city and big-time music disintegrated.

Today, the Crown Coliseum is at a crossroads, struggling to schedule acts, draw crowds and become financially viable.

The challenges are steep.

There are more indoor coliseums than ever before — 10 others in the Carolinas alone for the Crown to compete against — and the performers who do tour don’t stay on the road as long as they used to. This causes an out-of-whack supply and demand.

And then there’s you, the concertgoer. You shoulder some of the blame, too.

Fayetteville is known for being a last-minute “walk-up” ticket market, which has led to many pre-show cancellations.

And the ticket threshold is lower here. Any ticket over $50 has proven to be a tough sell, so how can big acts be booked when few will pay the price?

Rick Reno thinks he has the answer.

Reno, who has headed the Crown Center since 2001, thinks finding a niche market of acts, increasing advertising and using a special fund to lure wary promoters is the path to success.

Since he is the man responsible for booking events and bringing more people to the complex off U.S. 301, he’d better be right.

The hottest acts in America once stopped in Fayetteville.

Elvis Presley and Bob Hope visited during the 1970s. AC/DC, Deep Purple, KISS and Bob Seger played here at their heights in the ’70s and ’80s.

But somewhere along the way, the relationship between the city and big-time music disintegrated.

Today, the Crown Coliseum is at a crossroads, struggling to schedule acts, draw crowds and become financially viable.

The challenges are steep.

There are more indoor coliseums than ever before — 10 others in the Carolinas alone for the Crown to compete against — and the performers who do tour don’t stay on the road as long as they used to. This causes an out-of-whack supply and demand.

And then there’s you, the concertgoer. You shoulder some of the blame, too.

Fayetteville is known for being a last-minute “walk-up” ticket market, which has led to many pre-show cancellations.

And the ticket threshold is lower here. Any ticket over $50 has proven to be a tough sell, so how can big acts be booked when few will pay the price?

Rick Reno thinks he has the answer.

Reno, who has headed the Crown Center since 2001, thinks finding a niche market of acts, increasing advertising and using a special fund to lure wary promoters is the path to success.

Since he is the man responsible for booking events and bringing more people to the complex off U.S. 301, he’d better be right.

Complete Article