8 • THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5,2002
Big concerts fail to bring profits to local business
By Heidi Pritchard Special to the Kansan
The forecast is rain. Severe thunderstorms, in fact. Fans are lining up by the thousands to stand on the lawn of Sandstone Amphitheatre for the opening of the 10th Annual Summer Concert Series, and umbrellas are not allowed inside the Amphitheatre. As Green Day begins its set, flashes of lightning keep in time with the beat of the music almost as if they're planned special effects.
By the time Blink 182 begins to play, the rain is coming down in sheets, and most concertgoers scream louder and pump their fists into the open air even harder.
This kind of fanaticism is what has kept Sandstone Amphitheatre in Bonner Springs rocking and rolling for the ten years Clear Channel has had ownership. The venue has provided a place for people of all ages and musical tastes to while away their summer free-time.
Even though there is an average of 400,000 people attending each summer series at Sandstone, the people profiting are not who you might think. Clear Channel and Bonner Springs are making a profit, but downtown businesses are not.
Although no specific figures are available, Bonner Springs officials said most local businesses were not bolstered by the summer concerts.
"It really doesn't do anything for
"It really doesn't do anything for downtown. Mostly because, as you get off I-70,the venue is in the complete opposite direction of downtown businesses. It mainly affects the fast food restaurants in the direct vicinity of Sandstone. People are here for the concert and gone."
Charlene Biles executive secretary at the Bonner Springs Chamber of Commerce
downtown," said Charlene Biles, executive secretary at the Bonner Springs Chamber of Commerce. "Mostly because, as you get off I-70, the venue is in the complete opposite direction of downtown businesses. It mainly affects the fast food restaurants in the direct vicinity of Sandstone. People are here for the concert and gone."
Rita Hoag, city clerk for Bonner Springs said the city enjoyed tax benefits from Sandstone through liquor sales at the
shows and a 25-cent amusement tax on each ticket.
These fees add up, considering the number of people who attend each concert.
Chamie McCurrey, Sandstone's public relations director, said it was not only the local teenage population attending the concerts. McCurrey said an average of 13,500 people attended each show for a total of about 400,000 each concert season. McCurrey said there was a huge age range attending the shows.
She said she was not allowed to comment on revenue generated by the shows, but she did say that last year the venue produced 28 shows and this year they would be pumping out about 30. But, with big-name sponsors like Pepsi, Budweiser and Verizon Wireless, it would appear Clear Channel is making ends meet.
The venue is an obvious draw for local residents. When asked what kept them coming back concert after concert the answer was usually simple; it was something to do. The towns clustered directly around the venue: Basehor, Leavenworth and Lansing, are mostly small and based heavily in agriculture. As it is with most small farm towns, there isn't a whole lot going on for the younger generation.
Contact Pritchard at editor@kansan.com. This story was edited by Matt Stumpff.
SUMMER CONCERT SCHEDULE
6/23 Bad Company/Foreigner
6/25 Vans Warped Tour
6/6 Sammy Hagar/David Lee Roth
6/9 Usher
6/28 Chris Isaak/Natalie Merchant
6/29 Red, White and Boom/Def Leppard
7/6 Rock Fast/Nickelback
7/12 Coors Light Presents Brooks and Dunn Neon Circus and Wild West Show
7/19 Deep Purple/Scorpions
7/23 Yes
7/28 John Mellencamp
8/1 Rush
8/8 Melissa Etheridge
8/14 Lenny Kravitz
8/25 Eminem
9/3 Dave Matthews Band
9/7 Y'allapaloza/Clay Walker
NEW NAME
Clear Channel, owners of Sandstone Amphitheater in Bonner Springs, have announced a name change for the venue. It will now be known as "Verizon Wireless Amphitheater." This is one of seven venues that Verizon has naming rights to.
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