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Taskforce finds beer might be part of solution
By Shelley Mika
Staff writer
It’s probably not surprising
that 80 percent of respondents to
the Mayor’s Concert Task Force
■NO APPOMTMBfTS NEEDED*
Survey agreed that they would
attend “age appropriate” events
where liquor was served. Nor is
it a shocker then that die majori
ty would approve of liquor being
served at Pinewood Bowl.
“We didn’t learn anything we
didn’t have suspicions of earli
er,” said Jim Ritzman, chairman
of the Task force.
But what is surprising:
Although these statistics
appeared on the Mayor’s Concert
Task Force Survey, economic
concerns may replace die wishes
of Lincolnites as die impetus for
the next steps taken by the task
force.
Ritzman said doesn’t think
serving alcohdl at Pinewood
Bowl, or anywhere else, will
bring more people. He believes
Lincolnites prefer “entertain
ment value.
Apparently, concert promot
ers disagree, as Ritzman conced
ed promoters would be more
likely to bring shows to Lincoln
if liquor were sold at events.
“The promoters have
requested to serve beer; that’s
one of the revenue streams,” he
said. “ThatIs the bottom line.”
So alcohol, or more of it, is
the decree of the Concert and
Entertainment Task Force,
whose original goal was to deter
mine what kinds of problems
existed with entertainment
options in Lincoln.
. Am staring point, the tcamk
two objectives were to research
Lincoln’s ability to attract con
certs and also to decide whether
existing policies or facilities hin
dered the presence of a thriving
entertainment scene.
Since its first meeting in
January, the committee formed
five subcommittees: venues, sur
vey, Pinewood Bowl, UNL
involvement and corporate sup
port. A glance at the list of Task
force members makes it clear
that a wide range of people with
expertise in each area have con
tributed to the cause, as they
come from local venue coordina
tors, city employees, UNL and
high school students to local
business persons.
According to the results ot
die survey, the team’s main con
cern has become economically
oriented, and in particular
whether or not concert organiz
ers can make enough money to
bring acts to Lincoln. If organiz
ers can make enough profit, the
likelihood that tours will come to
Lincoln increases, and a good
deal of the profit comes from
beer sales.
“The revenue isn’t on ticket
sales,” Ritzman said. “If you are
the promoter and you bring your
acts into town, serving beer
becomes a financial factor in that
it’s one more avenue that they
can make more money on. The
promoters are the ones asking for
it” . ,, „ . , . .
Although Ritzman said that
alcohol was an important eco
nomic factor, he emphasized that
beer sales at concerts aren’t the
primary focus, much like sports
fans don’t attend games to gorge
on concessions, but usually end
up doing so anyway.
“Alcohol isn’t die horse that
drives the cart. It’s the other way
around. It'S a revenue stream and
not the main factor,” Ritzman
said.
Andy Fairbairn, entertain
ment and promotions coordina
tor for Duffy’s Tavern said alco
hol sales could affect concert
attendance. Although not a mem
ber of die Task foece, Fairbairn
commented on die personal side ‘
of ate issue.
“I think serving Hquorwould
help, but I don’t think liquor
alone will make people go,”
Fairbairn said. “People who
already go to bars to see shows
do like to have a cocktail when
they see bands.”
Alcohol wasn’t the main con
cern of Fairbairn either:
“Lincoln’s music scene needs a
kick in the pants. The main thing
is an attitude shift People need
to be supportive of the shows in
Lincoln and go see them.
“One reason bands don’t
come to Lincoln is hrcisc it has
a record of the audience not
shewing. That scares off other
Please see TASKFOtCEon 8..