11/06/2014
Lowell Sun
By Ed Hannan
LOWELL -- A year ago at this time, the Lowell Memorial Auditorium remained dark on most nights, a victim of the transition from Mill City Management to Global Spectrum in managing the venerable 90-plus-year-old venue.
Because the management transition took place over several months, no events were scheduled, leaving the lights off, streets empty, and restaurants and bars that cater to pre- and post-show appetites searching for other avenues to make up the lost revenue.
And the lost revenue was not limited to those establishments, as the city had to cover all of a $404,000 deficit.
But those days appear to be over.
The Auditorium has an expansive fall/winter lineup that includes shows for pretty much all ages and interests, beginning with this weekend's Colin and Brad: The Two Man Group show that features the improvisational talents of Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood (of TV's "Whose Line Is It Anyway?").
And it extends (at the moment, anyway, as shows are regularly being announced, unlike a year ago) all the way to this week's announcement that Ron "Tater Salad" White (of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour that included Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy and Bill Engvall) will be returning to the Auditorium on Feb. 21.
"Given the fact that he's a Grammy-nominated comedian who has appeared in feature films, I don't think you can really go wrong with bringing someone with those credentials into the building," said Brian Krajewski, marketing manager at the Auditorium, about White, who has sold out Lowell Auditorium previously.
Krajewski is quick to note the work that Keith Vaske, general manager, has done in aggressively pursuing shows for the Auditorium. Krajewski said that it's not unusual for a smaller market like Lowell to have a sluggish fall.
"I don't know if you can even consider us a tertiary market to Boston, with Worcester and Manchester being so close. You'll find that in any building. It's slow in the fall, then picks up in the winter. That's your busy season. Then, in the summer, everything goes outside," Krajewski said. "That's the nature of the business and the industry. The concerts and rock shows are on tour in the winter. That's when you get the shows."
The events continue the following weekend when the PBS mega-hit "Wild Kratts Live!" comes to the Auditorium for two shows, at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., on Saturday, Nov. 15. The 3 p.m. show sold so well that the 11 a.m. show was added to the schedule.
"We added a second show as soon as we went on sale with the first one and saw how quickly we got out of the gates. We talked to the show about adding a second performance and they agreed," Krajewski said. "That brings a lot of foot traffic through the Auditorium doors that we're excited about."
The great a cappella group Straight No Chaser comes to the Auditorium on Nov. 20 at 8 p.m., while Grateful Dead tribute Dark Star Orchestra returns to Lowell on Dec. 6 at 8 p.m. "It keeps (coming) through and it does well. We're excited about that," Krajewski said of Dark Star Orchestra.
A pair of holiday shows sandwiched around iconic Boston comedian Lenny Clarke highlight the December schedule with Tomaseen Foley's A Celtic Christmas on Sunday, Dec. 7, and the return of Holiday Pops on Sunday, Dec. 14.
"We're definitely excited about the Holiday Pops returning. That always does well at the Auditorium. Me not being from Lowell is something that was truly impressive last year and put me in a Christmas spirit, which is difficult when you're in a new market and away from home. That was pretty cool. I'm definitely looking forward to them coming back," Krajewski said.
Clarke's Legends of Comedy show on Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. features Clarke, Kenny Rogerson, Tony V and Steve Sweeney.
"We're very happy with the number of shows we have on sale. There's a ton of stuff on sale between both buildings," Krajewski said. "We have more on shows on sale now, this year, than there were at both buildings this time last year. That's a testament to Keith. He works very hard to get the shows. He's constantly out there trying to get us the best shows."
And for fans of the perennial appearance of Sesame Street Live!, it will return to the Lowell Auditorium for five performances on Jan. 2-4 (a single performance on Friday, Jan. 2, and two performances each on Jan. 3-4).
"Sesame Street is kind of a staple in this market, as it is in many others. It will keep coming back as long as they're around. That's a show we look forward to every year," Krajewski said. "Sesame Street is a wholesome family show that people understand. It's not as catchy as some of the new Disney stuff that's out there, but it's trusted and it's proven."
Global Spectrum also manages the Tsongas Center at University of Massachusetts Lowell and there's a healthy lineup of events there as well over the next few months aside from the school's hockey home games.
The fun begins this weekend with Disney Live: Mickey's Music Festival, with three shows on Saturday. Next month, Slipknot brings its Prepare for Hell Tour to the arena with special guest Korn and King 810 in tow. Looking ahead to February, Pierce the Veil returns to the arena with Sleeping With Sirens.
"Slipknot is selling extremely, extremely well," Krajewski said. "Korn is the second fiddle to nobody in that genre of music. Slipknot hasn't been on this side of the pond in years. This is their first North American tour in a long time and the response has been great."
Krajewski is justifiably excited about the lineups at both venues, and says that the Auditorium will soon have a new website that will be more functional and allow for easier navigation and a smoother ticket-buying experience.