Like our height challenged friend seeing the plane approach Fantasy Island, our local newspaper couldn't contain themselves about the Eagles playing the arena's first date. Let's discuss what this choice was really all about. Michael Donovan, who garnered 40% of the mayoral vote this past November against would be Governor Pawlowski, speculated that it was a strategic choice to attract an
older, upscale patron to Allentown. He is correct, that demographic needs to be reintroduced to center city, where they haven't been in decades, if the center city
Transformation is to be the success touted by the administration and newspaper. The Eagle audience fits their bill, it is mostly white and over fifty. Almost all the tickets will sell for over $175 each. Pawlowski and Company are hoping that these suburban ticket buyers have a good first experience in Allentown's
new center city. Although they won't enjoy convenient
line of sight parking, and for the
Little Apple, there will be some traffic congestion after the concert, the hope is that the experience will be positive enough for a return visit. East and south-siders needing police assistance that evening will experience a delay; Every policeman in Allentown will be on display near the arena.
I'll say this, if J.B. Reilly doesn't buy everyone in the house drinks, with Butz swinging for the Hors d'oeuvres, those two have no shame.
ReplyDeleteToo bad they couldn't get Billy Joel to open the first concert. He could of sung the new allentown version about people getting robbed and shot.
ReplyDeleteNo shame. Hit up the taxpayers as the only way they can make a buck, and now they overcharge ticket buyers by 100% of what the show would cost at the Fairgrounds for a washed up band. What better way to celebrate Allentown's 60% or more 'minority' community than to open the arena with a country 'n western act. Let the gentrification begin!
ReplyDelete@11:19, actually the administration did commission somebody a few years ago to write new positive lyrics to the billy joel song
ReplyDelete@11:20, i consulted the staff music editor before writing this piece, and the eagles do command those prices elsewhere. they're neither a country act or washed up, but considered a boomerband. the show certainly isn't to introduce the surrounding neighborhood to the arena.
My husband is having a fit that Pawlowski didn't wear a hard hat for the article in the local paper. Where is OSHA when you need them?
ReplyDeleteComrade Molovinsky,
ReplyDeleteThe Palace of Sport is entirely too big to fail.
No amount of dissent can be allowed to derail the Great Transformation of the City With No (Spending?) Limits.
Too much Progress has already been made!
Sincerely,
Col. Viktor Tikhonov
Soviet Red Army (ret)
The Eagles are tried and true, and they still get great reviews. They're a world class act to this day. It's actually a wise choice for the arena's managers.
ReplyDeleteParking, traffic and police are definite concerns, but the choice of the Eagles isn't a problem. I hope their tour bus can navigate the one-way streets, round-about and rampant double-parking.
I saw the ticket prices posted and for the comparatively intimate scale of the new center the prices are not at all out of range. The VIP seats are going to be crazy money but those kinds of seats are, anywhere. I was not an Eagles fan before so I wont be shelling out for Eagles tix now(and there is a pun in there somewhere).
ReplyDeleteWhy would anyone shell out $175 to sit for two hours to hear music when they hear the same thing on sirius or similar provider for far less.
ReplyDeleteAhhhhh....the inequality.
Nice to have it.