Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE – The city went country September 1, with three country legends making an appearance at the Forum as part of their “Last of the Breed” tour.
People came from many places to enjoy the show featuring Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and Ray Price.
LINES BEGAN forming at around 6:30 p.m. on September 1 at the Forum, as fans waited patiently to get inside for the Last of the Breed concert featuring Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and Ray Price. Traffic formed a similar line outside the gate and down the street, as participants waited to get in the gate and find a parking spot.
“We had people buying tickets from all over. A woman contacted us from Hawaii. We had another person from Alaska buy tickets. But probably the most unusual call came from a man in Germany requesting tickets,” said Jim Kaiser, director of the Forum.
Kaiser also noted a large percentage of those attending the concert ventured from across the border.
“We had a significant number of Canadians make the trip over for the concert,” said Kaiser.
A total of 3,977 tickets were distributed, with the majority selling at $58.50 apiece and a few complimentary tickets also being given to those working. Total figures for the event weren’t available yet, but Kaiser indicated this was probably the most successful event held so far at the facility.
“We’re still paying bills. We won’t have a total on the profit to the Forum until all that’s taken care of. Concessions did very well. Each performer had their own merchandise spot inside the arena on the left, with souvenirs selling well,” said Kaiser. “This was probably the best show of its kind that we’ve had.”
The local economy also benefited from the weekend concert, with hotels, motels, eateries, stores and gas stations seeing an increase in business.
“All the businesses I’ve talked to – hotels, motels, restaurants – have indicated they were either booked solid or had little room to spare with the influx of concert-goers. Gas stations and local stores also did well, with the hundreds of fans purchasing gas and needed items before and after the show,” said Allen Deeves, executive director of the Presque Isle Area Chamber of Commerce.
Parking outside the Forum was handled by members of the Star City ATV Club.
“The ATV club did exactly what they were asked to do. It went very well out there,” said Kaiser.
Club members parked cars beginning shortly before 6 p.m. and continued into the night, with the help of flashlights, parking their last car shortly before 9 p.m. Several members then opted to take in a few minutes of the concert. The performance lasted about four hours.
“The show ran from about 8 p.m. to midnight,” said Kaiser.
Only a few problems were reported during the concert, including a disorderly fan. The biggest issue was traffic.
“We had a few people complain about the length of time it took to get through town. I had a friend who ended up leaving his car on Riverside Drive and walking up. But the weather was good and people eventually made it to the Forum and enjoyed the show,” said Kaiser.
The Presque Isle Police Department received about 30 calls, mostly from callers asking if anything could be done to speed up traffic in town. A property owner also called about cars parking on their property. The caller was advised they could have the vehicles towed if they were on their property. No accidents were reported during the time of the concert.
Kaiser said he was pleased with the event and is already making plans for the future.
“We’d like to do more. It’s just picking the right show. We have to get someone people are willing to purchase a ticket to see – have a reasonably-priced event with people who are willing to come here. It’s hard to procure that kind of talent but we plan to try,” said Kaiser.
“We’d like to do one next year. We’ve never seen the parking lot that full. We’d like to fill it like that more often. It’s not just good for the Forum, it’s good for the city and local businesses too,” he added.
