TC's Venue Vibes

My take on the LFL - it's another circus!

2011-05-25T08:03:00.000-07:00

An introductory news conference was held recently at the Resch Center for the new Green Bay Chill - a member of the Lingerie Football League. A reporter from the Press-Gazette attended the event and wrote a commentary the next day essentially calling the league on the carpet for selling more than football - women in sparse uniforms. The league took exception to the column and told the reporter so.

My take? It's another circus. Another rodeo, another boxing match, another hockey game. All of these events have detractors. Some people oppose a circus or rodeo because they believe animals are abused. Others don't like boxing because of its brutality and others hockey because a fight might break out. However, all of these events have a huge following. I can't tell you that you're wrong for what you believe. Hopefully we all make intellgient decisions on what we spend our money on and we know WHAT we're spending it on. Yes the women will wear skimpy uniforms, but so have the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders for probably 30+ years. I'm not saying either is right or wrong. The fact of the matter is we all have morals, we're all different and we should all be living according to our own morals. Me? Yeah, the uniforms are sparse, but it is tackle football and I'm interested to see how good the football is.

NCAA hockey good for everyone

2011-03-24T13:17:00.000-07:00

National sports tournaments don't make their way to Green Bay every year, so when one does it's worth pausing to reflect on the positives for everyone. The 2011 NCAA Division 1 Men's Ice Hockey Midwest Regional will be at the Resch Center this weekend - Saturday & Sunday, March 26 & 27. The winner of this regional goes on to compete in the Frozen Four in St. Paul, MN in a couple of weeks.

Obviously it's good for the Green Bay area as the tournament will utilize 8 hotels for the NCAA, teams, officials and staff for Michigan Tech - the host school. That doesn't include the hotel rooms that will be used by the fans that will travel from North Dakota or Western Michigan. The games will be nationally televised by ESPN or one of its affiliate stations. It puts Green Bay on the map again in connection with a championship. We hosted the tournament in 2006 and were lucky enough to have Wisconsin in our bracket. Needless to say every game was sold out that the Badgers played in. Wisconsin didn't make the tournament this year so from a business standpoint that will hurt us a little because the games this weekend likely won't be sellouts.

The NCAA takes over the building as of Friday. Many things have to be done to prepare for the tournament including outfitting the Zamboni with the proper sign as you see in the picture above. All other signs are covered and the ice looks nothing like you'd see at a Gamblers game. It has the look of a national tournament all with NCAA signs and logos.

The quality of hockey will be excellent. If you've been to a Gamblers game this will be probably be a step up as the Gamblers players aspire to be a Division 1 player. Some of the great Division 1 players are too far from playing in the NHL. So give it a shot, see some great hockey this weekend and support a Green Bay area national sports tournament. It's good for everyone!

Event 100 years in the making

2011-03-07T13:42:00.000-08:00

I've been a part of hundreds of events since I started this job 10 years ago. But there's one I've never been a part of and probably not many of you have either. That would be a birthday party for your 100-year-old grandmother. My mom has been planning for this just like we'd plan for an event at any one of our venues. She needed a venue, she needed (wanted) a band and she needed patrons - in this case guests. Let me tell you, everyone wants to be part of a party for someone who turns 100. About 200 people came to the party this past weekend in Door County. It was awesome and my grandma is awesome. You'd think I would take a picture of her on her milestone day, but no, I got out my fancy smart phone and took a picture of the dessert table - all home made. I knew others had pictures of granny, but the folks at work - they HAD to see all of this good stuff!

Everyone wanted to get their picture taken with Grandma Josie. It's like she was a rock star. I saw cousins I barely know and old friends and neighbors I haven't seen in many years. Her mind is great, her walk is pretty good and her hearing is only okay. She knew everyone and ate a little bit of everything I think (just like me). It was a special day that doesn't come around too often for most of us. When the party was over and the band played its last song, grandma clapped her hands above her head, waved and blew kisses to the crowd. Just like a rock star.

Mickey means business

2011-02-25T14:21:00.001-08:00

Disney On Ice has come and gone from the Resch Center, but as always, it has left its mark and it's not "minnie." It's huge. The show is the biggest thing to come to the Resch each year as far as attendance. It's pretty big for the Green Bay area too. Nearly 30,000 people attend the 8 performances of the show typically from a Wednesday through a Sunday. I know it has a big effect on area businesses and restaurants in the area because I've seen first hand all of the little princesses and Mickey Mouses who are eating at these restaurants before the shows with their moms and dads. I'm sure many who come from the U.P. also shop at our many stores.

The show also tries to leave its mark on the community before it leaves making some sort of appearance or holding something at the arena for a local charity or school. This year I helped arrange a reading event for second graders from Nicolet Elementary School on Green Bay's east side. The students made the short walk to the Boys & Girls Club where they were read a book by a Disney On Ice skater, asked some questions and got a surprise visit by Mickey & Minnie as you can see in the photo.

Chances are you've been to one of these shows over the years if you have kids or will be going soon. Besides the great fun and entertainment provided by this colorful event, always remember M-I-C-K-E-Y is B-I-G business for the entire area every February!

Who was that masked man?

2011-02-11T14:38:00.000-08:00

Who was that masked man that rolled through Green Bay on February 8? No, it wasn't the Lone Ranger. In this case, it was WWE Superstar Rey Mysterio. I had the privilege of escorting Rey around to various media stops, a visit to Edison Middle School in Green Bay and to a Subway in Ashwaubenon for a promotional stop. What a nice man. He's a Mexican-American from San Diego and has been a professional wrestler for 22 years. He says that's all he's wanted to do since he was a little boy and his message to the middle school students at Edison was you can realize your dreams no matter what they are!

In the photo Rey is talking with a special needs child who is a big fan of WWE. It was a very touching moment and another example of how these guys and gals of WWE are down to earth folks. They are entertainers, they are athletes, but they are also fathers like Rey who has a daughter that's 13 and a son who I think is 8 or 9. Rey never turned down an autograph request, never turned down a photo request with someone. Rey also emphasized to the students that education has to be their number one priority along with obeying their parents. It's always neat for me to meet the "real" people who perform at the Resch. It's refreshing to see most are like us and that success and fame has not gone to their heads. In this case, it was wonderful to meet the man behind the mask!

My Superbowl experience

2011-02-04T11:36:00.000-08:00

I sit here with a stupid nervous edge a few days before the big game between the Packers & Steelers. Nervous about whether the Pack will win. Kind of silly I think because my life really won't drastically change whether it's a win or a loss. But I was at the last Superbowl the Packers were in - the one in San Diego where they lost to Denver. It was a horrible feeling. You go to the game as a working member of the media and I had no problem with that. I was trained not to cheer in the press box for 16 years (take a hint Bears media). I owned very little Packers gear because I couldn't wear it. As a result, I still have very little to this day. If any member of the hometown media tells you they don't care who wins the game they're full of crap. They may not care because they say they aren't a fan, but they care at least because it's so much more pleasant covering a winning Superbowl locker room than a losing one. It was the pits having to go down and interview Mike Holmgren and Brett Favre and the rest after losing what many thought should have been their second championship in a row after beating New England the year before. I heard someone say this week winning the big game is the best win you'll ever have and and losing it is the worst loss you'll ever have. I think that's pretty true. Perhaps that's why I feel nervous as the game approaches. I remember the horrible feeling when they lost last time. Again, my life didn't change. Hopefully the Packers win Sunday, but if they don't, at least this time I can walk away from the TV, pet the cat and not have that sick feeling talking to Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers and the rest.

If the Packers do win, there will be a celebration at Lambeau Field on Tuesday at 4pm, scheduled to end at 5pm. We have WWE Smackdown here at the Resch starting at 6:30. There will be a section of the Lambeau lot that will be saved for WWE parking. We will also have all lots at our complex saved for event parking. Next Tuesday I'm also scheduled to escort WWE Superstar Rey Mysterio around to various radio stations. Should be interesting because the guy wears a mask!!! I'll let you know how that goes next week!

The venue was Soldier Field

2011-01-25T13:00:00.000-08:00

Sunday's NFC Championship game was my first time to Soldier Field as a fan. The photo above is a pre-game shot. I've been in the press box for games in the past as a member of the media. Before Sunday, I never had the "pleasure" to sit in the stands with all of those Bears fans. I heard stories about how brutal they are and I should have known because the Chicago media is brutal in the press box during games (I'm guessing that hasn't changed since I left the radio business). Good natured ribbing is one thing, but many Bears fans are rude, crude and downright nasty to Packers fans. I haven't heard so many F-bombs in my life! Many directed toward Packers fans and when the Bears were losing (which was the whole game) directed at their own team. To add insult to injury, some Packers fans would rub it in the Bears fans' faces and then you could detect true anger and passion and F-bombs to those fans. My plan, ignore them. If they talked to me in a reasonable manner I would talk to them. Many fans were cordial and to my surprise, when the game was over, many walked up to me to congratulate me and wish us good luck in the Superbowl. I've heard of Packers fans going without wearing the team colors, but please, this was the championship game. I borrowed Packers winter coats for my wife and I. No disguise for us!

The stadium itself is a decent place to watch football. But for the life of me, all those millions they spent to make it look like a spaceship did little to make the bathrooms decent. Everything seemed very industrial looking. One big plus over Lambeau? Seats. There were actual seats instead of bleachers which were much more comfortable. Food and drink are always expensive at stadiums, but $8 for 16 ounces of beer? Yikes. Walking around Chicago with the thousands of other Packers fans was a hoot. After the game was priceless. The only disappointing thing was the Packers' decision to hold the trophy presentation inside the locker room out of respect for the Bears.

Wish me luck for the upcoming two weeks. A PR guy trying to get coverage for non-Packers stories will be a tall order. The Gamblers have their biggest event of the season this weekend - Teddy Bear Toss. Some things were in the works that I think will fall through because many media folks will be heading to the big D to begin the week-long coverage. Not saying the Packers don't deserve it because it's a major deal for this town. But if any of you have a story idea of how to tie a teddy bear into the Superbowl, I'm all ears!

My championship blog + Paisley

2011-01-21T14:05:00.000-08:00

All right, it's not really a championship blog, but everything everywhere is Packers-Bears right now. Being out of the media for 10 years, I kind of forgot how crazy it gets where any little thing can become a story. Everyone is betting each other I feel like I should bet a Chicago blogger something. I even saw the Archbishop of Milwaukee is betting Wisconsin cheese against Chicago deep dish pizza from the Chicago Archbishop. I don't know about you, but the deep dish stuff sounds pretty good to me. My wife and I have been offered the opportunity to go to the NFC championship game on Sunday and we're going to go! I've covered games at Soldier Field as a reporter, but have never sat in the stands. I've heard some stories about it. Let you know how that went next week!

Brad Paisley's concert was a big hit Thursday night. As I'm sure you've heard by now, as pictured here, Aaron Rodger made a surprise visit on stage. The crowd went NUTS. Interestingly enough, Paisley's dad travels with him on the tour and actually drives his bus! If you check out the Resch Center's facebook page, you can see we posted a picture of his dad on the wall Thursday. We see a lot of great crews come through the building, but we all agree the Paisley tour was one of the nicest and easiest crews we have EVER worked with. It was a pleasure.

Wedding show - I did it, you should too

2011-01-05T13:32:00.000-08:00

All right guys, I know most of you reading this who are already married probably never went to a wedding show with your wife. Ladies, you probably went to several looking for ideas or to cement plans for your big day. The Wedding Show is happening at Shopko Hall this weekend - quite simply it's the biggest and best of its kind north of Milwaukee. Okay, so I went to this show with my wife to be at the time and actually had a good time - and....they didn't even have the Mens Warehouse lounge like they do this year for guys!

We had many of things settled on, but not the cake and my wife insisted our cake had to be fabulous. To me fabulous equates to expensive (and it was....both fabulous and expensive), but that's a whole different blog topic. Bottom line is we sampled many cakes at the show and it helped us make the final choice. I also found a great tux deal for my future brother-in-law who was getting married after we were. My point is, brides-to-be and their friends or mothers will be coming to the show. We know that. But, as a guy, I went and the rest should too. If you're already married, tell your buddy he should go. It really does score points with the future Mrs. because it shows you care (pssst...I know you don't care a rat's butt about some of the details). The cake is great and there always seems to be a lot pretty women walking around in wedding dresses. Besides, I went and so should you!

Season for entertainment shaping up

2010-12-10T12:07:00.000-08:00

As the white fluffy stuff starts to invade our lives, I can't help but think about how the entertainment season is already starting to blossum. Of course the Kenny Chesney tickets are on sale for the big Lambeau Field June 11 concert for what may be turn out to be the biggest concert in Green Bay history. If 50,000 people buy tickets like we hope they do, it will undoubtedly be the biggest entertainment day this area has ever seen having the same impact basically as a Packers game.

Besides that, we have landed another Cirque du Soleil concert for spring. This one is called Dralion. The title gets its name from a combo of Dragon and Lion. We've had two Cirque shows in the past at the Resch and both have done extremely well. The entertainers and the visual show are second to none. Tickets for that go on sale shortly. We also have the Brad Paisley concert in January along with our usual mix of Harlem Globetrotters at the end of this month and Jeff Dunham as well which is getting pretty close to being a sell out. Also this winter you can expect Disney On Ice and Monster Trucks which I'm hearing will have an extremely unique selling point this year. The key word is extreme! And then of course, we'll host some of the best college hockey in the country as the NCAA Divsion 1 Men's Ice Hockey Championship Midwest Regional will be at the Resch at the end of March.

Things seem to be going pretty well, but caution is still our best bet as far as booking shows that are too risky. Everyone still keeps an eye on the economy. We'll continue to bring you the best shows we can. Soon there will be something going on every weekend at our complex and many times at all 3 buildings - Resch Center, Brown County Arena and Shopko Hall. Gamblers and GB Phoenix are no exception. If you're bored, you certainly can't blame it on us!

Green Bay home to Judds this week

2010-11-22T14:26:00.000-08:00

It's a little strange having one of the most successful country music duos of all time in your complex, yet it's not concert day. Such is the case for The Judds who are in Green Bay for the week rehearsing for their new and what they say is their last tour - "The Judds: The Last Encore." The new tour will actually start right here in Green Bay at the Resch Center on Friday night, November 26 - the day after Thanksgiving. They're obviously not open to the public, but the rehearsals are taking place in the Brown County Arena. Sesame Street Live just ended its shows there on Sunday night. The Judds then moved in and set up their production for the rehearsals. The Gamblers have a home game on Wednesday night, so the Resch Center wasn't available. Toward the end of the week, the Judds crew will break down the set-up in the arena and move it over to the Resch for the show Friday night. Having the two arenas next to each other allowed us the chance to offer them this opportunity. A nice feather in Green Bay's cap I think.

The show will feature new Judds music while highlighting 25 years of favorites including some of Wynonna's solo hits. We're told the concert will also feature holiday seasonal favorites by weaving several classic Christmas songs into The Judds' set list. I did a little research on the duo and you forget they had 14 #1 hits, received more than 60 industry awards and sold more than 20 million albums in only 6 years. Should be a great show. We've still got room for you!

Dane has it "Cook"ing

2010-11-12T14:04:00.000-08:00

We all know social media has hit like a fire storm. Most every business is using either facebook, twitter or writing a blog. (pssst...you're reading my blog). This past week comedian Dane Cook came to the Resch Center and he is a big user of twitter. I mean big. He has well over one million people who follow him on twitter. One million! That's more subscribers than most if not all newspapers in the country! I don't mean collectively, but for a single paper. Cook uses twitter to tell his fans what he's doing and to promote his tour, his CDs, movies, whatever. He tweeted on the way to Green Bay - we re-tweeted him a couple of times! So, we got in on the act. We were able to obtain two front row seats to his performance to give away as part of a twitter contest. My guess is his management was willing to part with the front row tix for the contest because Dane is a big believer in twitter. We simply asked our followers to re-tweet the message that Dane Cook was coming to the Resch and that one lucky re-tweeter would be randomly chosen as the winner. We got a great response and more exposure for the show.

What does this mean for you? Sign up to be a follower of @reschcenter. You will be among the first to know when shows are coming or when tickets in the first 5 rows are released like they were for Dane Cook. You will also have more chances to win tickets to upcoming events - probably for doing something as easy as re-tweeting our message. Welcome to the new world of marketing. Take advantage of what we have to offer and what other businesses have to offer. They're all anxious for you to hop on board their social media bandwagon...and many times willing and able to give you great deals or great giveaways. Just ask the gal who sat in the front row for Dane Cook!

Taking the plunge at Lambeau

2010-11-04T12:57:00.000-07:00

It's a big day for us in many ways. Exciting because PMI Entertainment Group and the Green Bay Packers have announced Kenny Chesney is coming to Lambeau Field June 11, 2011. As promoters of the concert, it's clearly our biggest venture as far as risk that this company has ever taken. It's been a long process, but we're thrilled to be working with the Packers to bring this huge concert here. And it will be huge. It'll be unlike anything this area has ever seen as far as a concert is concerned. It'll take several days to set up the large production and will have a ton of trucks and buses. Capacity will be close to 50,000 people and those folks will hear about 6 hours of entertainment with Uncle Kracker the opener followed by Billy Currington and then a full set by Zac Brown Band and a full set by Kenny Chesney. It will likely be a gauge for possible future concerts at Lambeau.

I've already heard "geez, more country, what about rock?" The fact is there aren't a lot of touring stadium shows out there - rock, country or whatever. Some won't work at Lambeau because of unique set-ups that could destroy the field. We also have a limited window of opportunity because of the football season which means a concert could feasibly be held from possibly late May to late June or so. Trust me, if a huge rock concert presented itself that could work, we'd do it! The same goes for booking the Resch Center. There isn't a lack of rock shows by choice. It's about opportunities and numbers that work. There are a lot of country tours out there that do work for the Resch. That's the simple explanation. I'm not the biggest country fan myself. Having said that, it's going to be one heck of a party at Lambeau next June.

Cat & Mouse game

2010-10-25T15:19:00.000-07:00

This time, the venue is my house and the event is a game of cat and mouse. Literally. You see we have a house cat that my wife has insisted we let outside. Now she has created a monster because the cat (his name is Batman) wants to go out all the time. Seems harmless enough unless you too have a cat and know what they're capable of when it comes to mice. You would also know that cats like to bring presents for their owners. Batman created his own cat door by poking a hole in our roll up patio screen door and starting bringing live mice into the house after he caught them.

Being the "educated" people we are, we finally started to shut the door behind him so he couldn't bring anything in. But he got us. Not sure when or how, but he got us. I'm getting ready to go to the gym one early morning last week when I see a mouse run across our bedroom floor with Batman in chase. He could have caught it but of course he didn't want to....this time...because he was playing. Needless to say, we couldn't catch it and didn't know where it went....until the next morning. I'm getting ready to go to the gym again at 5:45 am and I see Batman in the kitchen looking up and staring at the kitchen ceiling by our patio drapes. I'm thinking "you gotta be kidding me!" I walk over and sure enough, there's the mouse at the top of the drapes, by the curtain rod, looking down at the cat. You can't make this stuff up!

Once again, short of burning our drapes, we couldn't catch the mouse and again didn't know where it went. So our "educated" selves bought a mouse trap - my wife insisted it be a live trap so we could "catch and release." We set the trap later that day near the drapes and sure enough, when we got home from being out, the game was over. The mouse was jailed. We pardoned it and released it outside. Finally, it was over. This time. If you've ever had a cat, you know what I mean.

Sky's the limit for Resch

2010-10-15T07:26:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, October 14, the Resch Center had an event that probably ranks in the top 5 for attendance. It wasn't a concert, a basketball game or a family show. Instead, an estimated 9,500 Catholic students, teachers, volunteers, priests and others were here for an all schools Mass. It was pretty impressive and has been in the works for at least a year. They came from all over. As a Catholic, I was proud. As an event marketing professional, I was thrilled to see yet another wonderful use for this building. It's proof once again that the Resch Center was built for all the right reasons 8 years ago - as a multi-purpose building. We had 8,500 here in the spring as the Gamblers won the Clark Cup championship in a stunning game 5. Several thousand were here two years ago for Barack Obama and again for John McCain. We host a very large Jehovah's Witnesses gathering here every year and have had Kenneth Copeland ministries here in the past. The Hmong New Year celebration will be in our complex shortly. PMI Entertainment Group does not discriminate in who it allows to rent the building. It's open to darn near anyone and anything if the dates are available. Our job is to keep the Resch and others in the Brown County Veterans Memorial Complex as busy as possible. It is very expensive to operate and maintain the buildings and the bills won't get paid if they're vacant.

Among those coming through the doors in the next few weeks will be people who enjoy WWE, Gamblers hockey, Sweet Street halloween festival, Dane Cook comedy and Christian music in concerts by Bill Gaither and "The Make A Difference Tour 2010." Talk about multiple use!

Here we go!

2010-10-08T14:11:00.000-07:00

Starting right about now the Brown County Veterans Memorial Complex begins to get busy for the season. Aside from a rare weekend here and there, it's almost guaranteed there will be something going on at the Resch Center, Brown County Arena or Shopko Hall every weekend. Many times events going on in all three or two of the buildings. There's three things going this weekend! Milwaukee Bucks in the Resch, Bullshooters Dart Tournament in Shopko Hall and the Savagefest concert going on in the BC Arena.

It's fear the deer time Saturday night as the Bucks are here. We're hoping you feed the deer as in coming to support the Bucks. It's certainly not a given they will be here every year and a show of support in the form of attendance I think would help the Bucks decide to come back. It's our unique chance to see NBA basketball in our backyard. I know pre-season action in any sport isn't always the biggest attraction, but you have to hand it to the Bucks for making the ticket prices reasonable. I mean if you want to spend big bucks to sit really close or at courtside, you can do it. But you can also get in the building for as little as $9 or $15 and see professional athletes. On top of that, the Bucks and PMI Entertainment Group are teaming up to offer Buck Night (how appropriate) with buck sodas and buck hot dogs. So fear the deer, feed the deer and feed your family at the Bucks game!

Appleton player makes Gamblers

2010-09-28T15:06:00.000-07:00

Here's a good story of a local kid who's fulfilling a dream of making a team he's always wanted to be a part of. 18-year-old C.J. Eick of Appleton played with the Junior Gamblers (youth hockey - AAA) a couple years back and last year played with the St. Louis Bandits of the NAHL - a junior league considered to be a step below the USHL of which the Gamblers are in. I was in the draft room this past Spring when the Gamblers drafted him late in the day. There was some discussion as to whether he could crack the Gamblers squad. He's 5-7 and 161 pounds. That's small for your prototypical hockey player. But that doesn't mean he can't play. I'm betting a lot of people were doubting Eick would actually win a spot on the roster, but that he did. Coach Eric Rud says Eick clearly won a spot during training camp and during the exhibition games. Needless to say, CJ is pretty excited. I don't have any idea how much he'll play this season or what line he'll skate on and so forth, but here's yet another example of what determination and hard work will get you.....a spot on a team that you've always wanted to be a part of. Pretty cool.

The Gamblers open the season Saturday night, October 2 at the Resch Center at 7:05p. Ironically, the Gamblers will play Fargo, the same team they beat in game 5 of the Clark Cup championship series before a sold-out Resch.

Going GaGa south of the Resch

2010-09-07T13:35:00.000-07:00

It seems weird going to a concert at a different arena than the one I work at - but that's what I did last Thursday as I "checked out" the Lady GaGa concert at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee. Before I comment on the concert, I must tell you a venue person never goes to another venue without observing EVERYTHING. I observed the long lines of people waiting to get in and then I especially observed those in line because, boy, were they dressed for the occasion! I observed the ticket takers and what they were wearing, watched the ushers as they helped seat people and so forth. Can't help it. In this business we're always comparing.

There were tons of limos outside of the arena and in a nice touch - a big Lady GaGa semi in public view for fans to pose in front of for pictures. It kind of helped set the scene and give you the feeling this was a big night. Big it was. The show was huge. Big dancing, big sounds and
unfortunately a lot of big F-bombs. Don't ask me why, but I didn't expect that from Lady GaGa. I expected a dark, over the top show with a lot of weirdness, but I didn't expect the dirty mouth. Maybe I'm just getting old. The songs were good and the sound quality was pretty good too except for the screaming girls next to me. That hurt more than the loud music! Okay, I am getting old. Did I mention the strange dressed people? Never have I seen so many people turn out in costume - felt like I was at a costume party and I was the only one who didn't dress!

I like some of GaGa's songs but people who know me wouldn't have guessed that I'd go to this concert. For some reason I wanted to check it out. She's pretty big on the scene right now and it remains to be seen how long she stays there. I heard the show was over the top and it was. Would I go see her again? Not sure that I would. But the next time another big, freaky show comes along....don't bet against me...I'm not THAT old!

New Gamblers coach Rud anything but

2010-08-27T13:38:00.000-07:00

The Gamblers hired a new head coach this past week - Eric Rud. His last name is pronounced rude - with a long u. I got the chance to spend a few hours with him on Wednesday taking him on a media tour - FOX 11, WIXX, Y100, WNFL (John Maino) and WDUZ the Fan. As a PR guy, one of my concerns with any coach will be how he deals and relates with the media. If Wednesday is any indication, Eric will be great. Former coach Jon Cooper had a gift for that (I hope he never reads this because his head is big enough). Another former Gamblers coach, Mark Osiecki, was also good. I would say Coach Rud is a cross between them. He's a hockey guy no question, but he gets the other part of the job too - relating to the fans, season ticket holders and the media!

Coach Rud had a lot on his mind besides taking the new job. He also has a wife and 3 kids to think about - kids that will start school in the Green Bay area September 1! Before he left Green Bay that day, he and his wife had to have a pretty good idea of where they were going to live and which school district he would send his children to. While Eric was with me, his wife stayed behind at the hotel and worked the internet looking at potential places to live and they were meeting with a realtor to look at those potential areas. He is very open to doing unique things with the media this season, so hopefully we'll come up with some creative things to showcase the Gamblers maybe in a different light.

Next Thursday, September 2 is the last Leicht at Nite of the season at Leicht Park. Big Mouth is the band. It's been another huge success this year and Leicht Park is becoming the place to be on Thursday nights in the summer! I, however, won't be slinging drinks Thursday. No, I'll be traveling south to check out Lady GaGa at the Bradley Center that same night. You can bet you'll hear from me on that one. I hear it's quite a spectacle!

Tall ships make great TV

2010-08-18T14:08:00.000-07:00

I was able to assist with some great TV live shots this past weekend for the Baylake Bank Tall Ship Festival. I had early morning TV with FOX 11 on Friday and with CBS 5 on Sunday. Both stations were on the ship Bounty as it has one of the best stories to tell. The ship was used in many movies including the last two flicks of Pirates of the Caribbean. It was built for the 1962 movies Mutiny On The Bounty and its helm (steering wheel) was used in Hollywood sound stage. The Captain says John Wayne, Clark Gable, Charlton Heston and Johnny Depp are among those who have used it.

In any case, for the Saturday morning live shot on FOX 11 the Captain wondered if Angela Kelly might like to shoot off a cannon live on TV. The answer was a resounding yes. He wondered if it might be too early to do at 8:15am but we all said heck let's go for it. I've heard the cannons and know they're extremely loud. He said Angela had to wear ear protection. When she lit it I was about 5 feet behind her and felt the impact in my chest when the black powder went off. Incredible feeling. On Sunday morning, Hilary Golston of CBS 5 climbed up the side of Bounty and did a live shot from the ropes hanging over the Fox River. She was going to climb all the way to the top of the eagle's nest (I think that's what you call it), but then changed her mind. I didn't blame her!

It's these unique opportunities that make my job fun. Seeing what's possible and seeing what the reporter is willing to do. Both were great live TV. During the course of the weekend, I helped with stories on ship security, two additional stories on the Bounty, a story on the Sisters Under Sail program on the Unicorn and did countless other interviews. Working the festival all 3 days gave me a good feel that those who attended really had a good time. So did I!

Cooper scuttles schedule

2010-08-10T13:02:00.000-07:00

Well, leave it to former Gamblers Head Coach Jon Cooper to put a crimp in my schedule on Monday. It wasn't intentional of course. After taking a few days off at the end of the previous week and putting the Dinosaurs to bed, I was getting psyched to dive head first into what needs to be done for the Baylake Bank Tall Ship Festival coming up this weekend. PMI Entertainment Group is producing the festival. I got a hint something was up late last week while on vacation and it turned out that a good portion of Monday was dealing with the announcement that Cooper was leaving the Gamblers and heading to Norfolk to head up the Tampa Bay Lightning's top minor league team.

The beauty of my job is to never plan on anything, but plan for everything. Media interviews and PR stuff was begging to be dealt with Monday morning and instead the day became a juggling act. Juggling interview scheduling for the Cooper announcement and for the tall ship festival. In fact, at one point I had two FOX 11 crews here, one for sports to talk Gamblers and another for news to talk about the festival. Cooper's leaving is bit of a surprise this late in the game. He basically said the timing wasn't right to leave Green Bay after the end of last season, but this huge job came out of nowhere. So now we move on and as Gamblers President Brendan Bruss says..."we keep the train moving." We already have a LOT of interest from prospective candidates.

Meanwhile, the ships will be moving/sailing into downtown Green Bay this weekend. Watch for live news coverage early Friday morning on FOX 11 and then Sunday morning on CBS 5. It'll be my pleasure to get up early with those folks. There's something cool about being next to tall ships and the river at sunrise. I just hope it is cooler because this hot and humid weather stinks - at least for me. Check it out this weekend, it's a very unique event!

When an event becomes official

2010-07-30T11:53:00.000-07:00

Many times we're called or contacted by folks wanting to know if it's true if artist A, B, or C are coming. The caller or writer will say they "heard" it. Sometimes it's true, sometimes not. In this new world of social media like facebook, twitter, blogs, chat sites and so forth many things are leaked or speculated about. A classic example was for WWE Raw the past few weeks. Some of our fans heard that Raw was coming and further that Toby Keith was going to be a special guest. This is one case where we knew Raw was indeed coming October 25.

Some of our fans on facebook asked us about it. At first we weren't able to confirm it. Eventually we could. The reason we couldn't confirm early on is there is a process that needs to happen before a venue (in this case Resch Center) can officially announce a show is coming. Even if WWE had something on their Web site or in their magazine, we can't confirm a show until the promoter or show gives us the green light. I'm sure it seems kind of silly sometimes when it seems obvious to you that a show is coming here, but we can't say anything. Until we get the green light, nothing is official on our end. The best example of that is when I first started here nearly 10 years ago. It seemed a sure bet to many NSYNC was going to play at Lambeau Field. In fact, the band had it on their Web site - date and all. We knew there was some talk about it, but we also knew it was not a done deal. And guess what? It never happened. We've already had concerts booked, a contract signed and it still fell through. It's kind of the nature of our business.

So the next time you "hear" a show is coming to the Resch and you ask us about it and we don't or can't confirm it, you'll know why.

A day with a dino

2010-07-22T14:24:00.000-07:00

What's 7 feet tall, 14 feet long and worth $250,000? That would be my traveling companion on Wednesday. A baby Tyrannosaurus, better known at Baby T. He's about 6 months old and that's the best guess as to how big he would be if he were real. I had the pleasure of escorting an advance team from the Walking With Dinosaurs show, which will be coming to the Resch Center on August 3 & 4 for 3 performances. It takes a crew of 4 and a semi driver to transport Baby T from city to city to do advance publicity. One person serves as national spokesperson, another takes care of the dino's skin, another responsible for overall maintenance and one of course IS the dinosaur. They all help set up for their appearances and are completely outfitted with speaker system, pipe and drapes, banners and so forth. All that's needed are curious kids of all ages. And we certainly found that in Green Bay.

Our day started at FOX 11 with a morning show appearance at 7:25. It was great TV as the dino played with and interferred with Pete Petoniak during the interview. Then it was off to do radio interviews at Y100 and WIXX. We had an appearance at the Neville Public Museum at 10am to meet and greet with hundreds of kids. The day ended with an afternoon appearance at Lambeau Field where Mayor Jim Schmitt proclaimed August 3 & 4 "Dinosaur Days" in Green Bay and the Packers presented Baby T with a "Baby T Pack" custom jersey with the number 65 on it. The significance being it's been 65 million years since dinosaurs last roamed the planet. And at least on this day, one dino came back to roar in Green Bay!

Rare for concert tour to start in GB

2010-07-16T09:58:00.000-07:00

A lot of concerts have come through Green Bay at the Brown County Arena and Resch Center over the years, but not many groups actually start their tours here. That, however, will happen when The Judds come to town November 26. And it's not just any old tour, it's their "Final Reunion Tour." Tickets for that show go on sale this Saturday, July 17 at ticketstaronline.com. The tour starts the day after Thanksgiving and will include new Judds and Wynonna music from an upcoming album. They also say they will incorporate classic Christmas songs into their set because they will officially be in the holiday season. Pretty neat deal for Green Bay and the Resch Center.

The Resch Center/PMI Entertainment Group staff now has two Leicht at Nite concerts under our belts. The concerts at Leicht Park in downtown Green Bay along the Fox River have been awesome. The crowds have really come out and the great weather the past two Thursdays certainly hasn't hurt. Next Thursday features Sonic Circus. A complete schedule is available at ticketstaronline.com

The bald guy slinging drinks is me!

2010-07-07T15:19:00.000-07:00

Well, it's time to crank up the free concert series Leicht at Nite again in downtown Green Bay. Most of the concerts are on Thursday nights at Leicht Park along the Fox River. For most of the nights, I'll be one of several PMI Entertainment Group employees who get out from behind the desk and get behind the bar and serve refreshments! I had a blast doing it last summer seeing so many people I knew who were thrilled to be able to get out and see local, live music outside on a Thursday night. A complete schedule is available at ticketstaronline.com.

We didn't know what to expect in our trial year last year, but it was a great success. Thus, we're doing it again with popular local bands. Some have asked if we'll ever get big name bands. That's certainly possible down the road, but we needed to walk before we could run. In this business, outdoor concerts are risky. Weather is the biggest factor that could affect crowds. At the Resch, we book a concert and we know it will happen unless the tour cancels for some reason (see Simon & Garfunkel). So, here's to a great start to the summer. See you at Leicht at Nite and say hi to the bald guy behind the bar!

Going to Miller Park and not watching the game

2010-06-24T13:35:00.001-07:00

In our business, whenever you go to another venue you tend to observe how "they" do things. This past week, Miller Park was the venue as I went to a Brewers game. I'm certainly a Brewers and baseball fan and enjoy watching the games. However, upon entering the Miller Park parking lot I found myself observing and evaluating all aspects of the operation. My first observation was the car parkers didn't know where to send us with our parking pass. We were sent around the entire parking lot and circled back to where we started before we were pointed in the right direction.

Once we got in, we were met by a friendly guest services lady otherwise known as an usher. She asked us if we knew where we were going and wished us a good time. A short time later I walked past her and joked she should turn the air conditioning on (it was 88 at game time and crazy humid with no air movement at all inside the park). For the rest of the evening when I made eye contact she joked with me and asked if I found the air yet. I was impressed with her customer service and her smile and instantly hoped that our guest staff at the Resch is just as friendly.

During the game, I watched with interest as the Brewers ran various promotions - something we all do in the business to improve the fan's experience. I even took it so far to look at every business/sponsor that had signs at Miller Park. I found it interesting that three different banks were advertised. Obviously no exclusivity there. Also two different airlines. And UW-Milwaukee has been a constant sponsor at Miller Park. I always thought it was curious a state school was spending money to market themselves at a baseball stadium, but they need to attract students as well. I'm always impressed with that big wrap around digital color sign and how cool it would be to have one in the Resch.

I also look closely at the prices at the concession stands for comparison. You know it will be expensive and need to understand all venues charge higher prices for food and beverage because it is a vital source of income. Many times what you pay to see the game or event has little to do with the bottom line of the venue.

So as I gazed around the venue and watched the guest services staff, the police officers, the signs and the racing sausages, I still managed to see Casey McGehee hit a two run shot and Rickie Weeks a solo home run. Yeah, pitcher Chris Narveson started out slowly for the Crew, but settled down to keep the Twins in check and the bullpen was solid the rest of the way. Who says you can't keep track of the game while your mind wonders to other places?

Caught in a championship

2010-06-16T06:35:00.000-07:00

A few of my co-workers and I were fortunate enough to be in Chicago this past week when the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup. We were in the Windy City for a conference where arena marketing people from around the country and Canada get together to discuss the upcoming year in shows and events. The Hawks won the cup on the opening night of the conference. We were at Navy Pier and everyone anxiously followed the game. We knew Chicago would go crazy if they won and sure enough, it happened. Michigan Avenue quickly filled with cheering people, cars started to parade around blowing horns. A party atmosphere indeed!

The next night on our way to dinner we noticed a huge commotion on Rush Street with crowds and many police vehicles. Before we knew it, the Blackhawks team bus pulls up to the intersection we were standing at and out comes the Stanley Cup! The team was making quick stops at popular Chicago restaurants or drinking spots. Needless to say, the atmosphere was unbelievable.

As far as the conference was concerned, we talked with many representatives from shows like Walking With Dinosaurs, Sesame Street, Star Wars: In Concert. We also discussed at length the continual explosion of social media and how to better reach the masses with Twitter, facebook and the like.

A biggie on sale, another coming

2010-06-04T12:14:00.000-07:00

I guess it remains to be seen if it will have the wow factor that Elton John had at the Resch a little while back, but there's no question the upcoming July 15 Simon & Garfunkel concert is a major get for us. For baby boomers and more, Simon & Garfunkel are iconic with a boat load of hits that we all know or have heard of regardless of your age. This latest tour includes only about a dozen cities with Green Bay in the mix.

While tickets for Simon & Garfunkel go on sale Saturday (June 5), we are set to announce another major event for the Resch Center next week. The summer, usually a slower time for arenas, is shaping up to be pretty decent for us. With Simon & Garfunkel in mid-July, Star Wars: In Concert July 3 and another major event coming in early August we are more than holding our own. Hopefully the Green Bay Blizzard will have several home playoff games as well to keep the Resch humming!

It was the place to be

2010-05-13T12:15:00.000-07:00

Okay, I admit it. I NEVER thought we could sell out a Gamblers game on Wednesday night in May. I know it was game 5 of the Clark Cup championship.....but still. I underestimated what a $5 ticket could do and I underestimated the support of the Green Bay area hockey and sports fans. I knew we were in for something special when we sold 3,300 tickets in the first 3 hours of the on sale time. The momentum kept building the next day or so and before you knew it, we were sold out at 11:30 am on game day.

What followed was a special night. Everything was perfect. Sold out crowd, a team that was down 0-2 in a best of 5 series to come back and tie it at 2 all. All we needed to cap the night was a win. And it happened. How magical it was for everyone in the Resch Center Wednesday night. It was the place to be....and darn near every sports fan knew it. Hockey fan or not. It's rare you get to see a championship game in your backyard. Some of the $5 tickets were being scalped for $25 near the Resch. The building was as loud as I've ever heard it when the Gamblers scored the go ahead goal with about 7 minutes left in the game. The resulting celebration by players and fans alike was awesome. Hope you were there. If not, you missed one hell of an event. Did I mention the USHL draft is next Wednesday, May 19?

Don't wait if you want to sail

2010-05-07T14:45:00.000-07:00

All tickets involved with the Baylake Bank Tall Ship Festival are on sale as of Monday, May 10. That includes general festival tickets, tickets to make your experience quicker, private ship tour tickets and the always popular sailaway tickets. Those are where you can get on one of the tall ships and sail out into the Bay. These usually sell out fast and we have less inventory to sell this time around than we did in 2006 - the last time the festival was here.

There's also a unique Sturgeon Bay to Green Bay sailing experience on August 12, the day before the festival begins. All of the ships need to travel through Sturgeon Bay to get here, so we allowing some folks to get onboard for the rest of the trek to Green Bay. The parade of sail will take place in Sturgeon Bay that morning with the ships continuing on to Green Bay. For all of these opportunities, check out www.tallshipgreenbay.com.

Can't believe it's been 10 years

2010-04-29T14:17:00.000-07:00

It's 10 years this week since the Green Bay Gamblers last played for and won the Clark Cup - given to the playoff champions of the USHL. The Gamblers have already won the Anderson Cup two years in a row - given to the regular season champs or team with the best overall record. It's been a long drought for the Gamblers. Since Jon Cooper and his staff took over last season, the results have been nothing short of amazing. Mark Osiecki was the last head coach to win the Clark Cup. He left the Gamblers to be an assistant at UW and just last week was named the new head coach of Ohio State. We've had coaches with good pedigrees, but in the last several years winning has escaped us.

This Friday and Saturday at the Resch is the start of the championship round. The Gamblers take on Fargo. These players have been going at it since late September. They are pumped! Playoff hockey is intense and exciting. It's a great show. I say show because it is definitely entertaining. We probably won't have as big a crowds as this accomplishment deserves because it's getting late for hockey and the games aren't listed on a printed, season schedule. But the media coverage has been great, so we're hoping for at least 3,000 at each game for the start of this best of 5 series. Even if you're not a big hockey fan (I wasn't) you will be entertained by the speed of the game - it is a great spectator sport. See you at the game!

EJ brings wow factor back

2010-04-19T14:24:00.000-07:00

It's been a little while in my opinion, but Saturday night it happened again. The WOW factor at the Resch. Elton John brought it. In fact, few can bring it like he can. I was standing the near stage at the beginning of the concert escorting the photographers to the pit. I was among the first to see Elton emerge from backstage and then as the crowd noticed him walking in the dark, the fever pitch began to rise. Once on stage and with a salute to a roaring crowd, Elton began an incredible 2 hour 45 minute performance. After he finished his 12 minute opening song, he got up from behind the piano (you see it in the photo) fired up and ready to go telling and gesturing the crowd "come on, let's go!" It gave me goose bumps. Wow. This is big time. Limos lined up out front, a mega superstar on stage and the place was rockin on a Saturday night. I've heard Elton likes to play buildings where many of the big acts don't come. Being a medium sized market, that applies to us many times. But not Saturday night. Elton John saw to that. It was his show and if I heard it once, I heard it a hundred times from fans in the seats....Wow! What a show! While some performers hang around the Resch a bit after the show, not Elton. He was out the door right after his last song. On to the next Wow.

Gamblers/Elton John/Gamblers

2010-04-16T14:17:00.000-07:00

While many of us sleep this weekend, the operations crew at the Resch Center will be busy overight on Friday and Saturday changing from hockey to concert to hockey. The Gamblers host Indiana in the second round of the playoffs on Friday night and Sunday afternoon. Sandwiched between the two is an Elton John concert that will pack the house. What a lot of people don't know is that the ice never leaves. We just cover it up with a special material and set the chairs and stage on top of it. In fact, we keep the ice in pretty much for everything.

If Elton's concert is anything like the one he performed the last time he was here 6 or 7 years ago, we're in a for a treat. He played more than 2.5 hours straight. If you're interested in going, take a chance and head to the box office.

The Gamblers meanwhile are on a great roll in the playoffs. After games 1 and 2 in Green Bay, they head to Indiana for game 3 next Friday and game 4 Saturday if necessary. Game 5 if necessary will be in Green Bay Tuesday, April 27. Seems like forever. Hope to see you this weekend at one of the events!

Resch loses a special friend

2010-04-08T12:50:00.000-07:00

As the Gamblers continue their playoff run this week at the Resch Center, it's a little strange looking up to the section we call ADA East and not see John D sitting at his usual perch. John D is John Dederich, who passed away last Saturday while attending the Final Four in Indianapolis. He's been a fixture at this complex for probably close to 40 years, starting full time in 1972. He was the manager of the Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena for the county and a had a big hand in the building and design of both Shopko Hall (Brown County Expo Center back then) and the Resch Center.

As a decorated Vietnam veteran, John was also one of the leading forces in the construction of the Brown County Veterans Memorial. I don't know this, but I dare say John had a rough go of it for a while after losing both of his legs in a mine accident in Vietnam as a young man. The John I knew never complained. He was a voice of reason who always had a "smart" answer - sometimes smart as in intelligent and always smart as in smart-ass! That's what you got and that's what you loved about John, never taking himself too seriously.

The last project I did with John was a few weeks ago sending a news release for him regarding a deadline for Veterans Memorial brick orders. Once the release hit the media, John got a bunch of orders in the mail and came to me and said "now look what you did!" We joked that sometimes things work out like you want them to.

I guarantee you John wants us to celebrate his death. Not celebrate that he died mind you, but just have a good time on him. He absolutely went out the way he wanted. A man who attended a million events (that might not be an exaggeration) died after watching the Final Four. He was at the Gamblers game the night before...sitting at his usual perch, at the end of ADA East. See you at the next big event John. Save me a seat.

Martina has party at The Club after Resch concert

2010-03-30T11:58:00.000-07:00

Had you ventured over to Tom, Dick & Harry's after Martina McBride's Resch Center concert on Saturday night, you might have heard her jamming in The Club at TDH. As she does a few times a year, Martina decided to hold a private party for her band and crew after a concert. This time she decided to do it in Green Bay. About 80 people from the show secretly went to The Club around 11:30 for the party and Martina got there around midnight or so. Trace Adkins was there as well. They came to us looking for a place to have the party and we decided TDH made the most sense. The party was hosted by Martina and she was in on the planning indirectly with Resch Center staff to arrange food and beverages. They had a little jam session with Martina singing. So, they were essentially playing to and for themselves. Kansas was playing at the Meyer Theatre that night with the Green Bay Symphony and word has it they invited Kansas to come too, but they declined.

In the photo, Resch Center staff presented Martina with a plaque to comemorate her third successful visit to our arena.

Who are these people?

2010-03-23T09:29:00.000-07:00

At a record Gamblers crowd of 7,000 + this past Sunday, fans were entertained by four characters from Star Wars including R2D2 and Darth Vader. We brought the characters to the Gamblers game to promote this Saturday's on-sale of Star Wars: In Concert. The huge show will be at the Resch Center on July 3. The costumes are incredible and R2D2 looks like the "real thing" from the movies. These are not your average Star Wars fans. These folks are members of the 501st - a highly organized group of costume enthusiasts who appear for Star Wars related events. They are volunteers and donations are made to the charity of their choice for their work. The costumes are not run of the mill either. Many cost several thousand dollars. The volunteers are hard core Star Wars fans and the 501st is officially recognized and approved by Lucas Films to appear on behalf of Star Wars events. The R2D2 that appeared here was built by a gentleman from the Fox Valley and he says he has more than 800 hours of work in it. So while many of us are hunting or fishing or doing whatever as a hobby, these guys are appearing as Darth Vader or steering R2D2 around.....and loving every minute of it!

R2D2 is in the house

2010-03-16T14:34:00.000-07:00

Just another day on the job. Last Thursday I had the "honor" of hosting Harry - the world's strongest chicken at the Resch Center - part of the All Star Rodeo Challenge. Now it's R2D2 and the rest of the Star Wars gang. The Resch is hosting Star Wars: In Concert on Saturday, July 3. R2D2 and a Storm Trooper made guest appearances at the Resch for a news conference announcing the big concert event. It should be one heck of a show as it boasts one of the largest HD screens in the business (three stories tall) and a huge symphony orchestra. Footage from all of the movies runs in sync with the live music. There will also be a large exclusive exhibit of Stars Wars costumes, props, artifacts and more from the movies. The Star Wars fans I've talked to who have seen this show say it is simply amazing. Go to starwarsinconcert.com for more details. Tickets go on sale March 27. There's a good chance some of the Stars Wars characters will be at the Sunday, March 21 Gamblers game at the Resch.

Biggest stage I've ever seen

2010-02-28T12:02:00.001-08:00

Now I'm not the biggest concert freak you'll ever meet, but I'm pushing 10 years here at the Resch Center/PMI Entertainment Group and the stage used by Rascal Flatts Saturday night at the Resch IS the biggest I've ever seen. A runway from the main stage pretty much ran down the middle of the entire main floor. Along the way, it branched off four times. It really didn't matter where you sat (or stood) because the talent came your way. Along with opening Darius Rucker, the fans saw a fantastic show.

We got wind earlier in the week that some of the folks from Rascal Flatts were interested in heading over to the Wisconsin Deer Classic & Hunting Expo next door at Shopko Hall. The show promoter obliged with tickets and in return, he got autographed t-shirts from the band. Meanwhile, the security director for Rascal Flatts is a big hockey fan and headed over to the Brown County Arena earlier in the afternoon to catch some of the Gamblers game. We get to know some of the folks involved with the shows because many switch to another concert tour when their current one ends.

Coming up next weekend at the complex...Gamblers at the Resch Friday and Saturday, Shrine Circus at the Brown County Arena Friday- Sunday and the NEW Fishing Show at Shopko Hall also Friday-Sunday.

2010-02-28T12:01:00.001-08:00

Proven success & hopeful success

2010-02-12T14:03:00.000-08:00

Another successful Disney On Ice production is rolling through the Resch Center this week. It certainly is a proven commodity and for good reason. More than 30 thousand people from thoughout Northeast Wisconsin and Upper Michigan will take in this year's ice show called Princess Classics. In fact, this year's show will likely set records. Something about Princesses that trips the triggers of everyone I think. Plus, the display is always dazzling as Feld Entertainment finds a way to bring the magic of Disney to ice.

Meanwhile, we venture into a new show production this weekend with Mantown. It's a partnership with Woodward Communications. The show is everything man. Meaning it will have things that cater to men like the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and many exhibits featuring things like motorcyles, an airplane, rock wall climbing, MMA fighting and so forth. It's always a little tricky trying a new show. You hope people will grasp what it is you're trying to do with the show and that they will check it out. It runs Friday night and Saturday.

Daughtry causing a buzz

2010-01-29T12:05:00.000-08:00

Nice to have the buzz back. The "buzz" is when we have a concert announcement that causes the phones to ring and the e-mails to be sent. Such is the case with the announcement that Daughtry will be playing the Time Warner Cable Theatre at the Resch Center. The May 21 concert is the first rock concert to do that in a while. Nice to see a bald guy do so well for himself.

Rock concerts have been hard to come by in the past year or so. Prices, touring dates and the economy have all played a role. Oh, there have been concerts out there to book, but not ones that we believed were viable for Green Bay. Viable meaning a ticket price that you could afford and we wouldn't lose our butt on. Having said that, we have another pretty good one on the docket Feb. 9 with Shinedown, Puddle of Mudd, Skillet and Like A Storm at the Brown County Arena. Rock on!

WWE & ME

2010-01-19T14:50:00.000-08:00

Another interesting day at the office last week....or should I say out and about. I had the chance to escort WWE Superstar Dolph Ziggler (no, his mother did NOT name him that). Ziggler was part of the Smackdown show at the Resch and I took him to a few media stops in the morning before wrapping up our half day at Green Bay's Lombardi Middle School where in the photo you see him talking to students in the library. This is one of the few times I get to escort someone in a limo. Usually it's me driving my Honda Accord.

Life for a WWE Superstar is definitely life in the fast lane. He says he only gets about a day and a half off a week, but the first day is spent sleeping trying to catch up on the shut eye he lost the previous week. These guys are entertainers and athletes. He watches what he eats. Breakfast consisted of six egg whites among some other healthy stuff at Perkins. For the record, I had oatmeal. WWE picked up the tab. He works out daily. So do I. That's where the similarity ends. He has tons of hair. I don't. He was a decorated college wrestler at Kent State. I decorated the X-mas tree in the communcations department at college. All in all, it was a great morning of gaining insight into the life of a WWE Superstar outside of the ring.

The other legendary Curly

2010-01-04T14:34:00.000-08:00

In these parts, when the name Curly is brought up you right away think of Lambeau. But the other legendary Curly was in Green Bay this past week when Harlem Globetrotters legend Curly Neal made an appearance at the Globetrotters game at the Resch Center. Those of us old enough remember him being the master of ball handling and appearing during the glory days of the Globetrotters when they were regularly on ABC's Wide World of Sports and of course on Scoobie Doo! Curly was great and always had a smile on his face. He was super friendly to all of the fans and a few lucky ones got to him personally in a Resch Center suite as part of a promotion. He's pictured here with PMI Entertainment Group Marketing Manager Paula Testin.

Coming up this week at Shopko Hall is one of my favorite shows and I'm not even getting married. It's The Wedding Show - one of the best looking shows we have all year because the hall looks great with black carpeting and the well dressed vendors. Did I mention the free samples of wedding cake? Seriously, if you know someone who is getting married, this is the show to go to. Many of our vendors choose this show as their only form of advertising for the year because it's that successful and it's the largest and most prestigious show north of Milwaukee. Look for morning show coverage from CBS 5 on Friday morning and FOX 11 on Saturday morning.

Derailed by a bat

2009-12-18T14:49:00.000-08:00

Holy PR Batman! This past Wednesday was another normal day for me (which means it was anything but normal) after Batgate took hold. If you didn't hear, a bat flew into the game and around the Gamblers players during a game Tuesday night at the Resch Center. The players, fearing for their safety, struck the bat with a hockey stick and killed it. The game was delayed for about 5 minutes during the whole ordeal. FOX 11 had the incident on video as part of the Resch Center's feed and played it on the sports that night. The next day FOX 11 did a full blown story on the incident, talked with a doctor who said the bat should have been killed, with PETA who said it shouldn't have been killed and with Gamblers Coach Jon Cooper who said he was relieved no fans or players were bitten by the bat. The story grew legs, or should I say wings, and took off. The story and video was picked up by media around the country and my phone didn't stop ringing. It aired on FOX national news, CNN, ESPN Sportscenter, Yahoo Sports, several major newspapers around the country as well as TV stations throughout the state. Coach Cooper was also on Canada's largest talk radio station the next day. Amazing how your day gets derailed by something like that. I spent hours on Wednesday dealing with the media on this story either looking for comments or by fulfilling requests for a copy of the video. The funny part is Coach Cooper happen to label it as Batgate during the FOX 11 interview and that term stuck and made headlines around the country. Holy smokes Batman!

Hot Shot & Me for a day

2009-12-14T14:52:00.000-08:00

It's always interesting when you know you're going to spend the entire day with a Harlem Globetrotters player. Such was the case last Friday when I had the fortune of escorting Hot Shot Branch around Green Bay. The Globetrotters always send what they call an Advance Ambassador to go out and get publicity before the team performs in a particular city. In this case, the Globetrotters will be in Green Bay on December 30.

Our day started at 6:45am when we headed to FOX 11 for an appearance. Then it was over to WIXX and Y100 and then to CBS 5 for an interview. Then it was off to Kennedy Elementary on the city's west side for a presentation to the kids. It doesn't matter your age, everyone knows a Globetrotter when you see one and it always brings a smile to a face with the immediate response - "you know I use to watch Curly or Meadowlark or I saw them on Scooby Doo." We made promotional stops in the afternoon at Express Convenience and Festival Foods (thanks Nick for the hospitality!) and wrapped up the day with Hot Shot dropping the puck at the Gamblers game.

Hot Shot played college ball at Baylor and works very hard. He says he hasn't had a day off in weeks. Between playing with the team, he's off doing his Advance Ambassador duties. But he wouldn't have it any other way. He loves his job and gets paid to play a game he loves. When he's done, he hopes to have his own radio talk show. But for now, he's spinning the red, white and blue basketball on his fingers or drumstick or hockey stick or anything else he can get his hands on. Because for now, there's a smile to be put on a kid's face when he spins the ball on their finger. Like the commercial says....that's priceless.

No excuse for not knowing

2009-12-01T14:39:00.000-08:00

I can't tell you how many times I've had people tell me they didn't know a certain event was coming to Green Bay or to our complex. In this day and age of media explosion I tell them you've got to be kidding. Even if you don't listen to the radio or aren't able to catch the newspaper (either hard copy or online), there are a million other ways. Who doesn't have a smart phone these days? Actually, I don't, but besides me? We are using all of the so called hot social media outlets these days. Being "social" is in! The Resch Center is on facebook and of course we're tweeting like the rest of the free world on twitter @reschcenter. If that doesn't do it for you, you can sign up to be an eStar e-mail member. We'll send you the event announcements and you can even narrow it down to the the types of events you want to hear about. For a shameless plug, you can go to the ticketstaronline.com site and sign up at the top of the page. You'll always get the announcements right away and sometimes you'll get special ticket offers. Gosh, the only other thing we can do is personally knock on your door. Oh, and this blog? Yup, that's social media too. So, no more excuses...and I mean this especially for a few of MY friends. Get connected and stop letting the world pass you by!

Birthday what?

2009-11-19T14:14:00.000-08:00

Let me make two things perfectly clear. I am not an old fart who doesn't get it. I am also not judging the following artist's music. That's better left to the experts. But for the first time in my PR career, I had a hard time even writing down the name of this artist's hit song. Jeremih will be performing at The Club at Tom, Dick & Harry's on December 18. I guess I am old enough not to know who he is.....until now. His first hit song is called "Birthday S_ _." See, I'm still having a hard time. I went online and listened to the song and some of the lyrics raised my eyebrows, but I've certainly heard worse. My co-workers laughed at me and with me. They still are. I was somewhat comforted in knowing that none of my co-workers knew this artist or song either except one. I don't even consider myself old-school, old-fashioned or whatever. I just felt weird typing that song name in a news release while announcing the concert that is part of KISS FM's Jingle Ball. I saw the concert announcement in the Press-Gazette with the song title in a little headline and it felt weird just reading it. Maybe I'm confused as to why the song has to be named THAT or about THAT. I suspect part of the song's popularity is the title itself! Then again, I was in radio when many words that were off limits then are heard all of the time now. Then again, maybe I am just a bit old-fashioned. Darn.

TSO singer impressed with crowd

2009-11-10T08:13:00.000-08:00

I had a chance to meet and chat briefly with long time Trans-Siberian Orchestra singer Tommy Farese before the early show this past Sunday. Tommy was very impressed with the size of the Green Bay crowd seeing as how this year's TSO date was so early - November 8. He shook his head realizing that so many people had turned out to see this show "just a few days after Halloween!" I was behind the scenes escorting Average Joe from WIXX for the check presentation on stage before the show. A dollar from every ticket purchased goes to charity at every TSO around the country. In Green Bay, it goes to the WIXX Christmas Fund which helps many area families.

It's not often I have the occasion to be truly backstage before a show. People think because we work here we're always mingling with the "stars." That's not how it works. We steer clear of that area, but there are times when we run into the artists. Being back stage of TSO though is pretty cool because there are so many things going on and so many musicians and singers getting ready for a big show. It was pretty clear they were all about to have a lot of fun!

Bill Engvall one of kind

2009-10-21T14:43:00.000-07:00

In our business, it's refreshing to meet someone who has made it big but still is a regular person. In this case, comedian Bill Engvall fits the bill. He performed at the Time Warner Cable Theatre at the Resch Center last week. And he was the show, the tour, the management, everything. Period. No one else. He was the tour. He called us personally from the road to tell us what he needed for the show. When we settled at the end of the night and paid the ticket revenue to the show...it was Bill Engvall at the table. That has never happened to us before. Usually there is a promoter or manager who handles all of those things. Bill does it himself and is a true gentleman. That's not to say many other performers who come through our doors aren't cool and friendly, but they all usually have handlers with them. This was a unique experience for us and a pleasant surprise.

Here we go

2009-10-09T14:50:00.000-07:00

Hey, did you see my cold, bald head on FOX 11 and CBS 5 Thursday morning? We did live shots on the tall ship Denis Sullivan. The ship was docked at Leicht Park and we used it to kick off an environmental push in connection with the Baylake Bank Tall Ship Festival in August 2010. It's a little chilly at 4:30 in the morning on the Fox River in October. Even with a winter jacket and skull cap, it's bone chilling after a few hours. Angela Kelly from FOX 11 and Dana Tyler from CBS 5 were troopers out there with me. The ship is very interesting and has one heck of a kitchen on board. Even more impressive, the ship sails with a chef, not just a cook, but a chef that fixes some pretty mean meals I hear!

You've heard let the games begin...for us...it's let the busy season begin! Certainly we've been busy behind the scenes here for some time, but now it will start to appear on our event calendar. After the Milwaukee Bucks at the Resch Center, comedian Bill Engvall takes up residence on October 16. Gamblers hockey will dot the schedule from now until April and Green Bay Phoenix basketball starts at the end of the month as well. Just announced that JET is coming to The Club at Tom, Dick & Harry's. That's the Aussie band with the huge hit "Are You Gonna Be My Girl." Also before the end of the month at our various venues we have TNA Wrestling, John Pinette, Deer Camp: The Musical, Assume the Position with Robert Wuhl and the big Caps for Cancer Toss game with the Gamblers on October 24.

Hockey time already!

2009-09-28T14:39:00.000-07:00

I know there wasn't much of a summer and fall has bitten us hard already, but I still can't believe it's already Gamblers week! The home opener is set for this Saturday. That means the hallway of the Gamblers locker room will soon smell like hockey season. That means that same hallway will be lined with the players' shoes, because the locker room is their "home" for the season and you don't wear shoes inside. It will again be interesting to learn about and get to know many of these new, young men. Nine players are returning from last season. Fourteen are new. This is a big jump for them. All of the new players were very good at their last level, but this league is definitely a big step up in talent. How will they mesh? How good will be they be? That's the beauty of sports and how a bunch young guys become a team. They have big shoes to fill.....last year's team won the Anderson Cup championship. Some of those questions will begin to be answered at 7:05pm Saturday at the Resch. See you in the stands!

The Club passes the test

2009-09-17T14:56:00.000-07:00

There have been a few concerts at The Club at Tom, Dick & Harry's, but Wednesday's trio of Silversun Pickups, Cage the Elephant and Manchester Orchestra was the first real test as a sold out, packed house. Everything went off without a hitch and I'll bet I heard it a dozen times...."this place is so cool, we finally have a club type place for concerts." The sound seemed pretty good (that's with earplugs in). We turned away many people for this concert that was pretty much sold out by the end of day Tuesday. The moral of the story folks is when we announce a concert you're interested in at The Club, get your tickets. Don't waste time like 3 guys from the U.P. did. They showed up Wednesday afternoon thinking they could walk up and buy tickets. They drove 3 hours and saw the sold out sign. Yeah, they should have called. But you know what? The story has a happy ending. While doing a radio interview with 106.7 The Zone, Cage the Elephant heard about their plight and added them to their still under capacity guest list. To top it off, I hear the 3 guys also got to meet Silversun backstage!

This weekend, country upstart Justin Moore is at The Club. That's Saturday at 8pm and tickets are only 8 bucks. Not sure what will be a bigger thrill...performing at The Club or singing the national anthem at the Packers game the next day. Moore tells Kendra Meinert of the PG that this will be his first time ever singing the anthem...especially in front of 70,000+!

Official intro of The Club

2009-09-08T15:21:00.000-07:00

Green Bay's newest entertainment venue will officially be introduced Thursday night. The Club at Tom, Dick & Harry's will play host to national country recording artists The Lost Trailers during the business' grand opening celebration. Other acts include Hindsight on Friday night, Big Mouth on Saturday and then Grand Union on Sunday. Obviously anytime you open a new venue you are curious about how things will sound. I'm sure there will be tweaking over the next several months as more acts are booked. Silversun Pickups is selling especially well - that's scheduled for September 16.

I'll be with the horses on Thursday morning. I have TV live shots set up for the Lipizzaner Stallions. I know Angela Kelly from FOX 11 is wanting to get up on one of the horses during one of her segments. That will take place from a stable in the rural De Pere area. The horses are performing at the Resch on Thursday and Friday nights this week.

A morning with "Fr. Mulcahy"

2009-08-27T13:36:00.000-07:00

I had the distinct pleasure of spending part of Wednesday morning with actor Bill Christopher who played Fr. Mulcahy on M*A*S*H. That was many years ago and a few gray hairs later, but when you first see Bill there's no mistaking him. His voice is the same too. I picked him up for interviews at FOX 11, WIXX and Y100 radio. He's in town for the musical comedy "Church Basement Ladies" at the Meyer Theatre.

Bill says Wisconsin almost seems like a second home for him because he grew up in the Chicago area, so coming to Wisconsin was common when he was young.As we drove, Bill was happy to talk about his many years on M*A*S*H. He makes no bones that much of his success in life is due to that show, so why not talk about it? It made it possible for he and his wife to provide exceptional care of their Autistic son who is now in his 40s. Besides the blockbuster series, Bill also appeared in the Gomer Pyle, Andy Griffith and Murder She Wrote TV series. Hard to believe "Fr. Mulcahy" played a murderer in Murder She Wrote. One of the few bad guys he's played in his day.

Christopher says the typical day on the M*A*S*H set was 9 to 5. Sometimes earlier if you had a big role in the particular episode they were filming. He might even have a few days off if he didn't have a big role in a episode because it took about a week to film one show and they did 22 shows a season. He says he still gets together with Loretta Switt, Alan Alda, Harry Morgan and other regulars from the show more often than you'd think. Bill Christopher is on the other side of 70 these days, but still enjoys traveling with his wife for his acting career. He was part of super successful, long running TV show. Not too many of those around anymore. All of the media folks he met that morning were pretty thrilled to meet him I think. Yeah, it was kind of cool for me too!

"Fr. Mulcahy" comes to Green Bay

2009-08-21T12:15:00.000-07:00

My job is enjoyable pretty much everyday, but it really kicks into "neat" mode next week. Actor William Christopher (Father Mulcahy on M*A*S*H) will be in Green Bay August 26-28 performing in a musical comedy at the Meyer Theatre called "Church Basement Ladies." I'll be taking Mr. Christopher to do a TV interview at FOX 11 on Wednesday morning and then to WIXX radio.

It's always interesting to meet the people behind the characters they played on TV or in the moves. Likewise, as a fan of M*A*S*H, it will be cool to see who William Christopher is. He's already willing to get up fairly early to do some publicity for the show at the Meyer, so I'd say we're off to a good start. Now if only Alan Alda was tagging along......

Tall ships only 1 year away

2009-08-13T13:12:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe, but in just one year, we'll be gracing the shores of the Fox River in downtown Green Bay for the Baylake Bank Tall Ship Festival. Two ships have already announced they're coming - Unicorn and Denis Sullivan. The latter is Wisconsin's flagship and hails from Milwaukee. The ships were last here in 2006 for a very successful festival. A few of the days were extremely hot and I sweat my butt off. But, we survived and a good time was had by all. The festival is being produced by PMI Entertainment Group - the same "crew" that runs the Resch Center and now Tom, Dick & Harry's. That venue opened today (Aug. 13). I had a chance to have lunch there on Tuesday during the soft opening and the food was great. Several concerts have already been announced for The Club. Seeing all of the old Kaap's furniture and fixtures placed around restaurant is pretty cool. Brings back memories and yes, unfortunately, I'm old enough to remember the old Kaap's. Ahhh.

I must be nuts

2009-08-04T17:11:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it's vacation time for Venue Vibes. Time to put down the phone and stop pitching the media for coverage of Tom, Dick & Harry's opening August 13. Time, at least for the moment, to take a break from publicizing the Great Fall Kick-off with Big & Rich August 15 at the Stadium View. For the next few days, time to give the Baylake Bank Tall Ship Festival a rest - it's coming up in one year exactly on August 13. So what does Venue Vibes do for vacation? A 5 day bike tour averaging 70-75 miles a day. Yeah, I must be nuts. I like to ride all right, but I'm not sure my "behind" is ready for this. I did 72 miles this past Sunday on a windy and hilly ride from Chilton. No problem. But that was one day. I didn't have to follow it up with another 70 and then another 70 and so on. I know, it's vacation, quit complaining. But it's been a cool summer temperature wise so far and now I see it could be near 90 on Saturday and Sunday. Did I mention I HATE it hot?? Ahhhh, I must be nuts.

Green Bay's newest entertainment venue getting closer

2009-07-24T12:54:00.000-07:00

I had the chance to walk through the construction site of the new Tom, Dick & Harry's restaurant, bar and entertainment venue. The place is really shaping up and on target for opening in mid August. The bars are in, furniture and booths are arriving daily and sound checks will soon be done in the entertainment section of the venue. Some of the old Kaap's restaurant fixtures are also being put in place. I think you will really like how this place turns out.

In a bit of scoop, if all things go well, next week we should be ready to announce our first concert at Tom, Dick & Harry's. There will be more announcements to come.

No doubt, Leicht at Nite a hit

2009-07-17T10:53:00.000-07:00

Two Thursday nights into it, we can safely say folks love Leicht at Nite! I can't tell you how many times people told me what a great idea the concerts are. This past Thursday "Gin" played to about 1,000 people and about 1,400 showed up for "Nashville Pipeline" the week before. The weather has been pretty decent and I think people see the beverages are reasonable. That was always a key for me. If folks had a chance to get out on the town, be outside, see some live music for free and get a decent deal on a beer it had all the makings of being successful. It's been awesome so far. We've had a blast working it and are seeing a ton of people we know.

Me? I'll be pouring beer for Leicht at Nite

2009-07-09T10:08:00.000-07:00

The thing about my job that I love is you never know what you might be doing. In this case, it'll be serving/selling beer for the first concert in the Leicht at Nite free concert series in downtown Green Bay. They run just about every Thursday night at Leicht Park on the Fox River. I'm curious to know what the turnout will be because this is the first time a night time concert series has ever been attempted there. There have been concerts, Bayfest and the like, but never anything that happens on a weekly basis. You can't beat the price (free) and the beverages will be reasonable. What a great thing it would be if this thing took off and became even bigger in the future. This will sort of be a gauge for the future I think. Check it out...and look for the bald guy in the beer tent. That would be me.

Hornswoggle "big" on thank you

2009-07-01T14:27:00.000-07:00

Local wrestler and now WWE Superstar Hornswoggle might not be big in stature, but he's big in the world of WWE these days and gave a big thank you to the Resch Center. Hornswoggle presented the Resch Center staff with a championship belt, on behalf of Vince McMahon, to thank us for pulling off a complete refund of the Monday Night Raw June 22 show. For the first time in WWE history, everyone who attended the show got their money back thanks to Donald Trump. Hornswoggle is a Northeastern Wisconsin native and still lives in the area. He's a great guy and it's alway neat to meet these guys away from the show.

Trump got Gamblers locker room

2009-06-23T14:24:00.000-07:00

When the Green Bay Gamblers hockey team takes up residence in the Resch Center next season, they'll be able to say they shared a room with a famous billionaire. Donald Trump used the Gamblers' locker room at the Resch Monday when he was in town for Monday Night Raw. Interesting story....Gamblers coach Jon Cooper says okay, Trump can use the room, but he cannot step on the Gamblers' logo, on the floor, in the middle of the room. Hockey players believe it brings the team bad luck when anyone steps on the logo. So, my fellow Resch Center colleagues put a rug over the logo and then placed a coffee table on the rug so no one could walk over the area.

Interesting day around here with Trump. It was almost like the President was here. Lots of media and lots of hype. But, what a joke that he already "sold" back Monday Night Raw to Mr. McMahon after one week. I'm also guessing the refunded ticket announcement will garner WWE major publicity throughout the industry. It was a huge production at the airport for the news conference on Monday afternoon....for something that lasted less than 10 minutes. Oh to have money!

No joke, the Donald is coming to Green Bay

2009-06-17T13:44:00.000-07:00

Like WWE or not, the fact that Donald Trump is coming to Green Bay next Monday for the Monday Night Raw show at the Resch is causing quite a stir. A lot of folks have been calling the box office and a lot of the media have been calling me to see if Trump will be available for interviews. The morning radio shows have also been talking about it. The show was nearly sold out even before the Trump news hit, so it's probably a no brainer it will sell out before Monday. You have to give WWE credit, they sure know how to create publicity! It will be interesting to see how Trump travels, how early he gets here and how scarce he'll be around the Resch. It would also be interesting to see what that head of hair looks like in person!

KISS vote a publicity stunt?

2009-06-12T14:22:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard, the band KISS says it will play on the first ever fan-routed tour. Meaning, the markets that vote the most saying they want KISS, will get a KISS concert. I'm curious about this and wonder if it's nothing more than a publicity stunt. But what if it isn't? It would be awesome to see KISS at the Resch. So, for what it's worth, I voted for Green Bay. What about you? The deadline to vote is coming up June 30. If interested, go to eventful.com/kiss and plug in a Green Bay zip code. First Barack Obama, now Gene Simmons!

Tom, Dick & Harry who?

2009-06-01T12:29:00.000-07:00

Perhaps you saw the news reports about a new restaurant and entertainment venue coming to Ashwaubenon in early August. It'll be called Tom, Dick & Harry's. No, those aren't the owners names...just a clever name to define a place that will be for everyone...you know...every Tom, Dick or Harry. The business will be managed by our company, PMI Entertainment Group and we will book concerts in the venue portion of the business. Capacity will be 800-1,000 people for general admission type concerts. We also manage the Meyer Theatre in downtown Green Bay with a similar capacity. These venues will not compete against each other. Granted, there may be an artist or two that could work in either venue, but we will be targeting different types of entertainment for each. Some things are just better meant for a club atosmosphere. Others will continue to be best suited for the Meyer. In any case, entertainment as a whole will be better for it in the Green Bay area.

Four busy days!

2009-05-18T14:14:00.000-07:00

The Resch Center had four busy days this past weekend..starting with Jeff Dunham on Thursday, Blizzard game on Friday, Keith Urban on Saturday and Disturbed concert on Sunday. We had pretty big crowds all four days. Dunham was a sell-out and a very nice guy from what I've heard from the folks here who got to meet him. Pretty much down home who feels blessed for the tremendous success he's having right now.

Keith Urban had a great concert Saturday night....actually ran into him (not literally) backstage. And no, I did not see the Mrs.....Nicole Kidman. I think everyone asked me that.

The Disturbed concert was also a big hit with those attending Sunday. I just wish the guy who entered the building right after doors opened could have kept his drinks and dinner to himself. Not a pretty sight for our housekeeping staff to clean up in the lobby! I know I'm getting old, but was it just me or did the music seem as loud as ever? Thank goodness for earplugs!

WWE on the way

2009-05-08T13:35:00.000-07:00

WWE's Monday Night Raw is on tap for the Resch Center on June 22. Tickets on sale as of Saturday, May 9. This will be a live telecast from Green Bay and another great chance to showcase our city and building to the rest of the country.

Also, look for more details soon for the Sugarland concert at the Resch July 8.

In case you missed it, our company - PMI Entertainment Group, is putting on 7 free concerts in downtown Green Bay on Thursday nights at Leicht Memorial Park. We're calling it Leicht at Nite. They'll run from 5:30pm to 10pm. Here's the schedule:

Special thanks to our sponsors who help make it happen - Titletown Brewing Company, Captain’s Walk Winery, Leinenkugel’s, 7-UP and Cher-Make.

Schedule
July 9 – Nashville Pipeline (Country)
July 16 – Gin (Rock)
July 23 – Replica (80s rock)
July 30 – Grand Union (Country) 2009 WAMI People’s Choice award for N.E. Wis.
August 6 – On Broadway’s “Taste of Broadway” event
August 13 – Spin (Rock)
August 20 – Sonic Circus (Rock) 2009 WAMI Cover band of the year
August 27 – Johnny Wad (Rock)

Disturbed discounts

2009-05-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

If you act quickly early next week, you'll be able to get a Disturbed concert ticket for only $22. If you're a veteran, it's only $17. The veterans' discount is good right up until show time. The other discount ($22) is only good Monday, May 4 - Wednesday, May 6. Speaking of Disturbed and veterans, I thought it was pretty interesting to read the band's reaction to a few veterans concerned about the concert here and being near the Brown County Veterans Memorial. The band was pretty insulted because the members claim no band in the country does more for veterans than they do.

Well, the ice is finally out of the Resch Center because the Gamblers' dream season has finally come to an end. What a ride it was....going from worst in the league last year to winning the Anderson Cup (regular season championship) this year. What a job new coach Jon Cooper and the entire Gamblers' organization pulled off. Looking forward to more great hockey next year.

Want to see KISS at the Resch?

2009-04-15T11:05:00.000-07:00

It's not too often fans have the chance to vote where they'd like to see a concert. The band KISS is offering their fans just that. KISS is currently conducting an online vote for which markets they should play for their tour later this year. You can vote to have Green Bay be one of the markets by going to www.eventful.com/kiss. Many people over the years have asked to see KISS at the Resch Center and this just might be the chance to make it happen if the band is serious about the contest and is something more than a publicty stunt. When you go to the site you will be asked some personal info like e-mail address, gender and birth year to ensure there is one vote per person. There is a limited time for this voting so get moving if you want to see KISS here! We would love to have them!

New Kids, new championship

2009-04-07T16:58:00.000-07:00

Pretty interesting day around here on Tuesday....as the New Kids On The Block concert is/was on tap. There was a small group of ladies outside of the Resch Center's back entrance waiting for the "Kids" to arrive....that was at 7:30 Tuesday morning! By noon the group grew to around 20 or so and then by late afternoon it was pretty large. These "New Kids" fans are pretty amazing...I know because one of them works in our office!

Pretty special night here on Sunday night as the Gamblers won the Anderson Cup for the first time in more than 10 years. The Anderson Cup goes to the team that wins the regular season USHL championship. Playoffs start Thursday and Saturday at the Resch again Waterloo. It's amazing what this team has accomplished since the start of the season. It's one of the worst to first stories that we hope continues for a few more weeks! The Cup will be displayed in the Resch lobby for the next few playoff games. It's pretty impressive. Just like the Gamblers.

Here we come playoffs!

2009-04-03T10:06:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since the Gamblers have earned a playoff spot and it's pretty exciting around here. Haven't felt this much energy around the building in a long time. The Gamblers are in and are waiting to see how well they do this weekend to determine their playoff seed. If the Gamblers win at least 2 of their 3 games at the Resch, they will secure at least the #2 seed and guarantee home ice advantage for the first round. Winning the Anderson Cup is also a very real possiblity. If the team has home ice, playoff games will be here on Thursday, April 9 and Saturday, April 11. It's this old fart's birthday on the 11th....how sweet would a victory be on that day!!

A bull, now a gator

2009-03-26T14:05:00.000-07:00

Well, as you can see here....last week I got on Midnight the Bull. This week we have an alligator in the complex as part of the WBAY Pet Expo. I don't think there is such a thing as a tame alligator so there will be no pictures of me and the gator! Anyway, the bull pictured here is broken like a horse, but he still was a little touchy when I climbed on his back. And...he was a little touchy when I got off. As I was sliding off, he moved around a little bit and slightly pushed me to the ground. I more or less lost my balance more so than the bull knocking me to the ground. It was harmless because when a 2,400 pound animal moves even slightly, it tends to move you a lot! All in a day's work, but I sure have taken a lot of "ribbing."

Complex is busy again this weekend with Gamblers games on Friday and Sunday nights and the Blizzard have their season opener Saturday night at the Resch. The WBAY Pet Expo, gator included, is in the Brown County Arena and the Green Bay Golf Expo is in Shopko Hall.

That's no bull, is it?

2009-03-19T09:39:00.000-07:00

World's Toughest Bulls & Broncs rodeo is at the Resch Center this weekend (March 20-21) and it has a unique animal. What you see pictured here are two people on Midnight....looks like a bull, but doesn't act like one. If fact, it thinks it's a horse! That's right, people can ride Midnight like a horse. I was born and raised on a farm and trust me, this is not ordinary! Bulls are not something you ride unless the credentials "cowboy" go after your name. Don't be surprised if we put Channel 5's Paul Evansen on this "bull" and what kind of PR guy would I be if I didn't hop on for a picture myself? Check out the rodeo this weekend...should be a hoot and a lot of bull!

These guys are nuts

2009-03-13T14:40:00.000-07:00

Holy smokes! Freestyle motocross is at the Resch Center this weekend and truly...these guys are nuts! I had a chance to arrange some morning TV with FOX 11 on Friday morning and got to see up close what these riders do. Jumping from two ramps, the riders do several "hairy" tricks including backflips on a frickin motorcycle! This same event sold out both nights two years ago. It's pretty cool. By the way, I had two paramedics at my side on Friday morning as the riders performed for TV. They never do any jumps without medical assistance right at hand. Ya think?

FYI - Keith Urban went on sale Friday morning....there were several people camped out in tents to get first crack at good tickets. Not too warm on Thursday night!

Snow and Circus

2009-03-08T13:35:00.000-07:00

Sitting here on a Sunday while it snows outside and the arena full of circus patrons confirms to me that people still want and need to be entertainmed regardless of the economy. The Shrine Circus had an outstanding run at the Brown County this past weekend, maybe even a record run. I was out to eat on Saturday and encountered many restaurants at capacity with waiting lines. Perhaps the economy isn't as bad here as in some other parts of the country. Whether it is or isn't, folks are still getting out and that can only help the local economy.

Game on!

2009-03-02T14:33:00.000-08:00

Game on! The battle for first place with the Gamblers and Cedar Rapids will be at the Resch Center this Wednesday. Probably one of the most important games the Gambers have had since they moved into the Resch Center!!

The Gamblers won two games this past weekend at the Resch capped by a 11-0 drubbing of Waterloo. We had 6,000 plus for a crowd and the atmosphere was fantastic! Not sure I've ever seen a score that lopsided in the USHL in recent time. Should be a great game Wednesday, hope you can make it out.

There's a bear in the air!

2009-02-23T14:22:00.000-08:00

The Gamblers Teddy Bear Toss game Saturday night was a huge success along with a huge crowd. In fact, both were records! A franchise record crowd of 6,785 people tossed a record 6,021 teddy bears. There are some great photos in a gallery on the Press-Gazette's Web site. One bear was about 6 feet tall....looked like a giant panda! Kudos to everyone who participated. If you haven't been a part of the event yet, do yourself a favor and come to the Teddy Bear Toss game next season....you won't be disappointed. I've never seen so many smiles on kids' faces after tossing their bears onto the ice.

Toby

2009-02-20T14:42:00.000-08:00

We got through Motley Crue ....wow, what a concert. Talk about a real rocker with lots of pyro!

Toby Keith is tonight...the crowd will be a bit larger for this one. Tomorrow night is the Gamblers Teddy Bear Toss night and it's trending pretty strong for ticket sales. A sell out is not out of the question. If you're on the fence about going, I wouldn't wait too much longer. Should be a great game with a great atmosphere! We're hoping to collect 6,000 teddy bears!

Crue, Toby and Bears!

2009-02-19T15:29:00.000-08:00

It's 5:30 on Thursday night and the doors are just opening for the Motley Crue concert at the Resch Center. Several people arrived early to get a prime spot in the pit. The stage is pretty impressive and the place will be rocking tonight!

We get to do it again Friday for the Toby Keith concert in what will be back to back concerts. Saturday night and Sunday are Gamblers games. The Saturday night game is Teddy Bear toss and tickets are going pretty fast. It could very well be a record Gambers crowd....we're hoping for 6,000 bears on the ice once the Gamblers score their first goal.

Monster trucks in the news

2009-01-27T14:00:00.000-08:00

Perhaps you've seen tragic news reports of the two people killed at two Monster truck shows. The most recent was a promoter killed at an event in Madison. I knew that man as he brought his show here for a year or two. The two incidents were completely separate and different, but tragic nonetheless. Our promoter for the event at the Brown County Arena on Feb. 6 & 7 is different from either of those events and is consumed by safety as well. We as a building will do everything possible to make this event and all events as safe as possible for our attendees.

Toby today

2009-01-17T07:23:00.000-08:00

If you're reading this on Saturday, chances are you're here to buy Toby Keith tickets. Good luck with your selection. I'm often asked about the best way to get tickets....certainly on-line is one of the best because you can do it from your home and get equal access to good tickets. By equal, I mean your chance is as good as anyone's. It's all about first come first serve and some of it is luck of the draw because we can sell many tickets at one time on-line. Keep in mind we also have phone agents selling tickets at the same time people are walking up to the Resch Center box office to buy or perhaps people are buying at one of our outlets in Appleton, Marinette, Manitowoc or Oshkosh. Just remember, if you have tickets locked in but not yet purchased and you release them to try again, there's a good chance the next batch of tickets may not be as favorable. The other risk-reward option is waiting to see if better tickets get released right before the concert. That often happens and you could get great seats if you time it right. But if it doesn't, you may not get any tickets or they will be less desirable than if you bought on the original on-sale day. Depends on how much you like to gamble!

Toby and Tuxedos

2009-01-09T11:43:00.000-08:00

Country superstar Toby Keith is headed back to the Resch Feb. 20. He is without doubt one of the most successful stars we've had come through the Resch since it has been built. That makes for a concert double header for us because Motley Crue plays here on Feb. 19. Toby tickets go on sale next Saturday.

They're getting Shopko Hall spruced up for one of our biggest shows of the year - The Wedding Show. The building has never looked so good....and guys, if the fiance brings you along...it's not so bad...there's free cake samples!! Next week Shopko Hall turns into a haven for big semi tractors for the annual NEW Truck Expo.

2009 here we come!

2008-12-31T08:40:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to everyone! 2008 was a great year in entertainment for the Resch Center and 2009 promises to be great as well! You already know Motley Crue will be here February 19 and Jeff Dunham will be here May 14. By the way, Mr. Dunham is selling extremely well with more than half of his tickets already gone. I read an article in a trade magazine the other day that said Dunham has been on the road for 20 years doing his thing and it's just the last two years where he has hit it big!

You may not have heard that Yanni will be here in the spring and we have two other major concerts in the works that will be announced early in 2009. But up next week is one of our largest shows of the year and that's The Wedding Show. So, if you or someone you know is getting married, Shopko Hall is the place to be January 9 & 10.

Snow & quick changeover

2008-12-19T15:00:00.000-08:00

All of this snow has kept our crews busy keeping the parking lots and sidewalks clear for all of the events we have. Please be careful as you come to our complex with all of the snow out there.

This weekend will be interesting because we have a basketball game and hockey game in the same day. The Green Bay Phoenix play at 2pm and the Gamblers play at 8pm on Saturday. That means changing the basketball court over to hockey in just a few hours time. If you didn't know, UW-Green Bay plays basketball on top of ice most of the time. The basketball court is placed over protective material right on the ice.

Got your tickets for Jeff Dunham yet? A lot of people do. More than 5,000 tickets have been sold for the ventriloquist's May 14 date at the Resch Center. No other ventriloquist has been on the Tonight Show more than he has.

Neil writes back

2008-11-24T13:56:00.000-08:00

It's not everyday you get a handwritten note from a superstar! That's what happened to our boss - PMI Entertainment Group President Ken Wachter. PMI donated $2,500 from proceeds from the Neil Diamond concert to help out Hurricane Ike victims. Diamond has a soft spot for the victims and has been donating all of the proceeds from his t-shirt and merchandise sales from his concert stops. When he heard that PMI donated money to the cause as well, he wrote a handwritten thank you note to Ken. And it was on Neil Diamond stationary! Pretty cool.

Next week it's time to take around a Harlem Globetrotters player again. Buckets Blakes will be in town to do advance publicity for their December 26 at the Resch Center. We'll be on various TV and radio stations. My day might be cut a bit short though as I'm scheduled to call in for jury duty....so we'll see.

Rockettes rock our world

2008-11-13T11:59:00.000-08:00

Holy smokes what a show! The Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring the Rockettes was everything it was billed to be. It was the biggest show ever to play the Resch and it left a wake of happiness and joy! Everyone who saw it was thrilled. This fan e-mailed us after his experience and sums it up pretty well.

“Dear Ticket Star Customer Service, I'm not sure who to direct this comment to, but I just had to write a quick note to express our satisfaction and gratitude regarding the Radio City Rockettes Christmas Show we attended this afternoon…..this show was absolutely FABULOUS!!!......my 67 year old father-in-law was grinning from ear to ear throughout the entire performance and he was just mesmerized by how beautiful it was…….. We absolutely loved every single moment of it. I was thinking on the drive home how cool it was that something like this can just warm your heart and make you forget your troubles (even if for only a moment in this especially bleak economy). I also give the highest commendation on the BEAUTIFUL close of the show featuring the live nativity. After all, that is the "reason for the season" as they say and the TRUE meaning of Christmas. Even if one is agnostic, you couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth and peace from it. .........AND…LIVE CAMELS!”

Diamond shines

2008-11-07T07:22:00.000-08:00

Wow. Best word to describe the Neil Diamond concert this past week at the Resch Center. 9000+ were on hand to see the icon. I'm not sure I've heard a louder ovation than I did after Diamond finished with "Sweet Caroline".....both times. It was rock solid.

This weekend we're bouncing with the state girls volleyball tournament at the Resch and ducking the punches at the Brown County Arena as Karnage in the Kage - mixed martial arts is going on.

I got the chance to spend a whole day again with 5 Rockettes this past Wednesday. All I can say is don't miss your chance to see this fabulous Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring the Rockettes next week Tuesday or Wednesday at the Resch. No show has been bigger. There's a great deal on tickets for the opening 4pm show on Tuesday...all tickets are just $25. That's a steal. See you there.

Missed a great wedding

2008-10-27T08:13:00.000-07:00

You missed a great wedding this past week.....unless you were one of the lucky persons who caught Tony N Tina's Wedding at Shopko Hall. The "wedding" is the longest running off-Broadway show. It's an interactive comedy that has you the audience as guests at an Italian wedding. Those who were there absolutely loved it!

Neil Diamond is on tap for next week Tuesday, which just happens to be election day. But, no reason you can't vote and then come to see a legend. Tickets are available for the show! It was an immediate, fast sell-out, but because he had to postpone his show due to laryngitis, some fans couldn't make the new date. So, come to the Resch Center box office or check www.ticketstaronline.com for tickets. I know some second and third row seats were turned in several weeks ago, so you never know what could be available.

Got a question? Sound off on my blog! See you in the seats!

How about the new site?

2008-10-15T14:32:00.000-07:00

So check it out! How do you like our new Web site? The new Ticket Star site went live on Wednesday. It is start of the art as venue Web sites go. I think it's much easier to navigate than our old site, but let me know!

We've been rubbing elbows with a lot of famous people around here lately. John McCain and Barack Obama have both held rallies at the Resch in the past few weeks. The Eagles, Rascal Flatts and legendary basketball coach Bobby Knight (at the Meyer Theatre) have been at our venues as well recently. And hey! Nice start by the Gamblers this year!

Please feel free to sound off on my blog or ask a question. And in case you didn't hear, our company just changed its name to PMI Entertainment Group - to better reflect the entertainment brand we have become.

A day with the Rockettes

2008-09-14T10:38:00.000-07:00

No one got more looks than I did last week while escorting four Radio City Rockettes around Green Bay. The young ladies, dressed in sleek Santa-type costumes, were in town to publicize their upcoming November show at the Resch Center called the Radio City Christmas Spectacular - starring the Rockettes. The ladies were eye-catchers with their bright red outfits and turned heads wherever we went.

Our day started early by doing TV and radio appearances, taking pictures outside of Lambeau Field and eventually doing an appearance with Packers kicker Mason Crosby. The Rockettes and Crosby are professional kickers in their own right - Crosby kicking footballs and the Rockettes kicking their legs! The ladies were thrilled to meet Crosby, especially Rockette Melissa Hillmer, a Manitowoc native. The appearance went a long way in creating excitement for the upcoming show...and deservedly so because it will be the biggest show the Resch has ever seen traveling with 34 semi trucks and 16 buses.

Wait a little longer for Neil

2008-08-27T13:02:00.000-07:00

Well, as you can imagine, there was a lot of scrambling around here once we got word Neil Diamond had to reschedule his concert to Friday, September 12. We got word less than 48 hours before his scheduled concert at the Resch that there was a possiblity he may have to postpone because of laryngitis. We convened early Tuesday morning to put a plan together to notify the public and call off all our workers. Not an easy task since this concert will have close to 10,000 people and we would be as fully staffed as ever! We got it done and did everything we could do to get the word out.

Next up, the American Idols tour on Tuesday.

Stars are aligning

2008-08-19T17:28:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest music stars of all time is about to descend on the Resch next week. Neil Diamond plays Wednesday night. The concert is a sell out, but keep an eye on ticketstaronline.com as some seats could be released. It's certainly been one of the hottest tickets in years at the Resch.

Still some tickets left for the Eagles. I'll say it again, the group's last concert here a few years ago still goes down as the best sounding gig the Resch has ever hosted.

A couple of unique shows coming to the Meyer Theatre....Tony n' Tina's Wedding and Church Basement Ladies. The Wedding show is an interactive comedy where the audience is actually guests of the wedding. You watch the ceremony, go through the reception line, eat dinner, dance and so forth. It really is a hoot. Check out the description of Church Basement Ladies on the Ticket Star web site.

Eagles soar high

2008-08-08T19:02:00.000-07:00

Undoubtedly you've heard or seen that the Eagles are coming to the Resch Center at the end of September. No question the tickets are a bit pricey, but is the going price for all of their concerts. Just let me say this, their last concert at the Resch a few years ago was nothing short of spectacular. By far, in my opinion, the best sounding band to play the building since it opened. We've had a lot of great concerts, but that one takes the cake. They told us in a pre-concert meeting that they had the best sound system in the world. They were right. The Eagles is a legendary group. You won't be sorry.

World class

2008-06-25T11:49:00.000-07:00

When is the last time you had a chance to see a U.S. Olympic team in action right before the Olympics? Probably hardly ever. But you have that chance this weekend at the Resch as the U.S. men's national team or Team USA will be at the Resch Center Friday and Saturday nights at 7pm each night. Most of these guys will be on the U.S. men's volleyball team for the Beijing Olympics later this summer. It's volleyball like you've never seen before....unless you were here last here. The serves are at 70 mph and the spikes far exceed that!

I recently returned from New York City where I learned more about the Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring the Rockettes. It'll be at the Resch Center on November 11 & 12 and will pretty much be the same show that plays at Radio City in New York during the Christmas season, but maybe even bigger according to organizers. The show will travel with 30 trucks! That's nuts! It will be the largest show ever to load in to the Resch. It includes a live nativity scene among other cool things and I'll talk more about it as it gets closer. But you can expect to see a few Rockettes in Green Bay in September to kick off the public on-sale of tickets.

World class

2008-06-25T11:34:00.000-07:00

When is the last time you had a chance to watch a U.S. Olympic team in action right before they left to compete in the most famous games of all? You have that chance at the Resch Center this weekend. Team USA men's volleyball will be in action against Finland as part of World League action. Most of these guys will be on the U.S. men's volleyball team in Beijing for the Olympics later this summer. It is world class volleyball and unlike anything you have seen (unless you were here last year). Serves are 70 mph and the spikes are far beyond that. Games are 7pm both Friday and Saturday nights.

I recently returned from New York City on business where I learned more about the Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring the Rockettes. Wow, it promises to be an awesome show at the Resch Center on November 11 & 12. We recently changed venues moving it from the Brown County Arena to the Resch. The dates switched slightly too because group sales have been going very well. This show will pretty much be identical to the one shown at Radio City Music Hall in New York during the Christmas season, only perhaps even bigger! It will travel with 30 trucks and includes a live nativity scene. I'll chat more about this as it gets closer, but this will be the largest show ever to move into the Resch as far as number of semi trucks are concerned. Some Rockettes will be coming to Green Bay in September to kick off the public on-sale for tickets.

Live from Washington

2008-06-06T14:03:00.000-07:00

This writing comes from our nation's heartbeat....Washington D.C. I and hundreds of other marketers from arenas around the country and Canada are getting updates from many of the shows that come to the Resch Center every year. We're talking with the Harlem Globetrotters, Sesame Street Live, Disney On Ice and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) to name a few. They're letting us know about the upcoming year and what shows will be on the road, what will be different and so forth. WWE surprised everyone by bringing out wrestling legend Ric Flair who talked to us.

This is a chance for all of us in the industry to share our experiences during the past year and chat about how we can do better in the coming year. It doesn't matter if its Madison Square Garden in New York or the Staples Center in L.A., we all have things in common...it's just that those are major markets and Green Bay is a mid sized market. One thing is for sure, the upcoming year will again be entertaining with some cool new twists. We'll keep you up to date as they happen

More stuff headed our way

2008-05-21T14:17:00.000-07:00

Well, the Kid Rock concert Tuesday night, May 20 did not disappoint. It was pretty cool having Kid Rock on stage at the same time with Peter Wolf of the J Giles Band or Rev. Run of RUN DMC. Certainly a unique mix of music and the crowd was pretty crazy about it. We had nearly 5,000 people there, but I'd have to say we were a little disappointed with that number. We thought there would be a few more people given that Kid Rock has never performed at the Resch and that it is a different type of music.

Which David did you like best on this year's American Idol? Doesn't matter. You'll be able to see both at the Resch in early September as the tour returns to the Resch after taking last year off. Tickets are on sale now. And for the record, no question David Cook is the better of the two, at least the most versatile.

Couple of notes about some things at our downtown venue - the Meyer Theatre. Comedian Carlos Mencia sold out a show in less than an hour for October 17 at 7:30 pm. So, like any good promoter would do, they added a second show at 10:30 pm. Tickets still remain for that one. We also announced Last Comic Standing will return September 12. This show essentially sold out last year and features the top 4 finalists from the NBC show this summer.

At our facililty in Oshkosh - the Leach Amphitheater, we're bringing some hard rock and some classic rock. Creedence Clearwater Revisited is booked for September 11. This is most of the original band Creedence Clearwater Revival -also known as CCR. The hard rock part of this equation is Puddle of Mudd on July 19. The neat thing about this one is a local band has a chance of being one of the opener for Puddle - if the band wins the second annual Wisconsin Rock War on June 21 at the Leach. Go to leachamphitheater.com for details on how local bands can register to take part.

Here's hoping summer has finally arrived!

Diamond sells out

2008-05-05T13:28:00.000-07:00

Well, it certainly didn't take long for Neil Diamond's August 27 concert to sell out. In about one hour, all of the tickets available were gone via phone, internet and in-person sales. Now, there's always the possibility some additional tickets will be released because every band/tour usually keeps some tickets on hold for various reasons. We figured tickets would go fast based on the amount of calls we've received and many of us who work here get calls from people we barely know looking for an "in" to get tickets.

The recent announcement of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring the Rockettes was also big news in these parts. The show is scheduled for November 7 & 8 at the Brown County Arena. Individual tickets don't go on sale until September 8, but group sales are now under way. Anyone looking to purchase 10 tickets can reserve them now and 15 or more tickets will garner you a 10% discount. It's really going to be a huge show - it travels with 30 trucks! It's basically bringing New York City to Green Bay and I'm told it will knock your socks off with breathtaking imagery, flying sequences, lighting effects and of course, the famous high kicks of the Rockettes.

Other recent announcements include Sheryl Crow and James Blunt on August 6 at the Resch, American Idols Live Tour 2008 on September 2 at the Resch and The Wiggles at the Time Warner Cable Theatre at the Resch Center on August 8.

Closer though is the Kid Rock concert here on May 20. Sounds like an awesome show which also features Rev. Run of RUN DMC and Peter Wolf of the J. Giles Band. Kid Rock will perform with both of these gentleman....they will not be opening acts like you would usually expect at a concert.

Kid Rock/ Neil Diamond

2008-04-10T09:24:00.000-07:00

A lot of exciting things have been happening around here and will be announced in the coming several weeks. First, if you haven't noticed the little teaser on our Ticket Star home page - Neil Diamond is coming this summer! That's the only information released at this point. More could be released the week of April 14.

Kid Rock has been announced for May 20 at the Resch Center and is on sale now. Check out the details, should be pretty cool. I saw him on Jimmy Kimmel last week talk about his tour and he says it will be one heck of a party. He has Rev Run from RUN DMC and Peter Wolf from the J. Giles Band. He says they will all be jamming together at times or playing songs from each of those bands. It's my understanding they won't be openers, but true guests with Kid Rock.

Former kid group Hanson (they've grown up) has/had a stop at the Meyer Theatre. They're doing one of ther famous walks from the theatre before their show. We have people coming from like 21 states and Canada for this show at the Meyer. Now that's what I call fanatics!! More coming soon!

Wheels, reels and HSM

2008-02-27T13:17:00.000-08:00

Disney's High School Musical: The Ice Tour had a fantastic four day run at the Resch Center. More than 27,000 people took in the show. Four of the six shows were a sell-out....a first for Disney ice shows.

Larry the Cable Guy continues to sell tickets at a pretty good pace...wouldn't be surprised to see him go over 7,000 tickets.

As I mentioned before, Carrie Underwood sold out in one day, the first time that's happened in a while. It's always possible more tickets will be released, so continue checking on the ticketstaronline.com web site.

World of Wheels coming March 7-9 to Shopko Hall and the Arena. The actor who portrayed Cooter on Dukes of Hazzard will be here. He's Ben Jones. He'll also bring his car - the General Lee. The actor who plays Hannah Montana's brother "Jackson" will also be here for part of the show. And as always, a bunch of great, custom cars and hot rods.

The NEW Fishing Show at Shopko Hall this weekend. Everything you want to know and see in the latest technology regarding fishing will be here.