Crystal Bowersox and the slow ticket sales for Toledo area Summer Events

Back in May, Toledo was excited about Crystal Bowersox and the “American Idol” tour. But ticket sales for that and other summer events are very slow. At the Lucas County Fairgrounds, ticket prices for the concerts have been cut to $5 for ground seats and only $2 for grandstand seats. But even low prices haven’t helped sell tickets for some area events this summer.

Crews set up today at Promenade Park in Toledo for what they hope will be a big weekend at Smoke on the Water – Ribs for the Red Cross. National act, the Gin Blossoms, will play Saturday night and tickets are only $5. Yet low prices like that have not helped every event.

Mike Scott says, “I had huge hopes, actually, and I thought that people would be excited that the rally was back.” Mike Scott’s Rally by the River concerts have drawn varying crowds. But Mike says money isn’t even the issue. Two weeks ago, $5 tickets and free passes circulating on the internet still didn’t draw crowds. Mike says there were “Three bands each night and maybe a trickle of a 100 or 200 people.”

An earlier concert by “Survivor” was cancelled due to poor ticket sales. “I was surprised because it was actually two national acts. It was Survivor and Pat Travers. And negative publicity came out of that and it was the first show I’ve ever cancelled in 31 years,” says Mike.

Nationwide, the top 100 grossing shows are down 20 percent. The American Idol Live tour coming soon to Huntington Center dropped 7 dates because of low ticket sales. The Toledo stop will be one of its last.

Ken Katafias, Sylvania Recreation Operations manager, says, “It’s not an easy time to be in the music business.”

Centennial Terrace hosted Pizza Palooza last weekend in extremely hot and then stormy weather where both affected turnout. But Ted Nugent drew well Sunday night. And sales for Rick Springfield August 8 are doing pretty well.

“Ted Nugent was a pretty easy one. We thought tickets were going to go great for that. But then we had one the previous week, 38 Special and the Outlaws, we thought was going to be another good show and it didn’t do well,” says Katafias.

The “American Idol Live!” tour will arrive in Toledo one month from today at Huntington Center. The top ten contestants, including northwest Ohio’s own Crystal Bowersox will take the stage Sunday August 29. You can get tickets at the Huntington Center box office and Ticketmaster.