MOLSON CONCERT SERIES: Backers say concerts showcased 'new' Lockport

By Joyce Miles<br><a href="mailto:milesj@gnnewspaper.com">E-mail Joyce</a>
Lockport Union-Sun & Journal

August 26, 2008 12:57 am

— Numbers are difficult to come by so soon after the last show, but backers of the Molson Canal Concert Series 2008 already are saying it generated good returns for Lockport.
Eight Friday evening rock and blues concerts by nationally known acts brought thousands to the community who likely wouldn’t have visited otherwise, local businesspeople said. Their shared hope is that some of those visitors will return for more than the music.
“I hope people who drove in were pleasantly surprised with what they found and how easy it is to get here,” said Paul Mullane of Mullane Motors, a major series sponsor who helped pay for the acts. “Yes, (the series) was worth sponsoring and yes, I’d do it again.”
Kitchen World’s owners may not know for a while whether their listing on concert advertising lures new customers, but their sponsorship already paid a dividend in civic pride, Randall Sanderson, vice president of marketing, said.
“We like to get behind any good idea in Western New York,” he said. “The feedback I’m getting is there was good turnout to the shows and ... it makes people feel good about where they live. To have that going on makes (sponsorship) a no-brainer.”
Series promoter Kathy Paradowski said her organization does not attempt official crowd counts but unofficial numbers, supplied partly by local police, suggest two concerts brought in capacity-stretching crowds. Riders on the Storm, featuring two original members of The Doors, attracted more than 14,000 people, and REO Speedwagon brought in about 24,000, she said.
She hasn’t done a post-series analysis with sponsors, advertisers and inside vendors yet, but feedback to date suggests the series “met expectations,” Paradowski said.
“The sponsors are all extremely happy. They like Lockport. It’s bigger than North Tonawanda and the demographic draw is more diverse,” she said.
Some businesses that didn’t pony up sponsorship fees counted gains as well.
Mike Molinaro, owner of Molinaro’s Restaurant at Walnut and Pine streets, just outside the Ulrich City Centre courtyard where the shows were played, said Aug. 15 ended up a night to remember.
“The night REO Speedwagon played was our best night since we opened 12 years ago. We turned over the dining room four times. The take-out (side) was packed. It was unbelievable,” he said.
The excellent turnout, and the winning over of new customers, banished Molinaro’s initial skepticism about the series. On June 27, he said, sales to visitors weren’t all that hot and at the same time, regulars were staying away out of fear their place would mobbed. Since then, regulars have figured out there’s room for everyone, and out-of-towners discovered a new place worth exploring.
“The main goal (of the series) was to showcase our downtown improvements, and it worked,” Molinaro said. “I’ve met a lot of people from out of town who said Lockport looks a lot better than the last time they were here. ... Everything was wonderful.”
Kim Milani of Sub Delicious, which helped sponsor the series in addition to enjoying ideal siting across the street from the City Centre courtyard, agreed the series is a crowd pleaser. Crowd control by public and private security forces was effective but subtle, helping foster a welcoming image of the city, she suggested.
“David Ulrich, Kathy Paradowski and Mayor (Mike) Tucker did a really good job. It was a great idea for getting people to come here who normally don’t, and people were happy with what they found,” Milani said. “I heard no complaints — which is unusual. Hopefully, next year it’ll get bigger and bigger.”
Lockport Holiday Inn’s rooms were sold out nearly every Friday and Saturday in July and August, according to Terri McDonald, director of sales and marketing. That’s normal at the peak of the local tourism season, and hotel staff don’t ask customers why they’re in Lockport, so McDonald can’t quantify how much of that business was tied to the concerts, but she’s confident some was.
“I can safely say we did see some additional room nights because of the series,” she said. “It certainly hasn’t hurt our business ... and it’s fabulous for the city. It’s good for the economy.”
The City of Lockport invested $64,000 in the 2008 series, plus overtime payments for four Lockport Police officers assigned to security detail. The expenses weren’t budgeted, since the series’ three-year deal with the city wasn’t cemented until mid-December 2007, but the money was well spent, Tucker said. Expenses for the 2009 and 2010 series will be budgeted, he added.
“Some of that money we’ll get back in bed tax and sales tax, and some businesses will prosper. The quality of life these concerts bring to the community, that’s worth something, too,” he said. “This series was a great success and I think it made the community feel good.”
Sporadically, complaints have emerged from residents who dislike the noise level of the Molson concerts. A Remick Parkway resident voiced her upset last month over hearing the music at what she considered a late hour for working people. Paul Black, a town resident who owns a home in the area of Lincoln and Beattie avenues, called the US&J on Monday to complain his right to peace and quiet is violated by the concerts. On Aug. 8, he said, he heard the strains of Riders On The Storm at his house nearly 2 miles south of the City Centre courtyard.
“It’s the wrong venue, that’s my complaint. It’s all concrete and blacktop. There’s nothing to absorb the noise,” Black said. “It shows no regard for other people. ... I’m not saying it shouldn’t be done, just do it somewhere else — in a place with grass and trees, or in an amphitheater.”
Tucker said complaints of any nature made to him about the concerts are so few he can “count them on one hand.”
Of concerns about noise drift from downtown, he said, “Everybody is not going to like these concerts. Overwhelmingly, I think most people do. We can’t please everybody all the time. I don’t know what else to say.”
Contact reporter Joyce Miles at 439-9222, ext. 6245.

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