Red Ink Intensifies For 2 Reading Civic Centers

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Berks County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The numbers aren’t final, but Reading’s two civic center venues likely will take another operating loss of about $800,000, as paid attendance continues to dwindle.

The Berks County Convention Center Authority said Thursday that the anticipated loss from the season that ended June 30 is similar to the $786,000 loss posted the prior season.

“The unaudited numbers are no better this year than last year,” Treasurer Carl D. Herbein said.

Paid attendance has fallen 16 percent over the past five years for the Sovereign Center arena and Sovereign Performing Arts Center theater, said Chairman P. Michael Ehlerman.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=502751

Sovereign Center Concert Ticket Sales Rise

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Berks County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Among the world’s top 200 arenas, the Sovereign Center ranked 160th for concert ticket sales in 2012, beating larger arenas such as the Giant Center in Hershey and the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, according to Pollstar, the concert tour industry’s leading trade publication.

The Sovereign Center also beat itself, moving up 30 places from its 190th ranking in 2011, general manager Zane Collings told the Berks County Convention Center Authority on Thursday.

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=454240

Reading Civic Center Venues Performing Better Than Last Year

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Berks County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Reading’s two civic center venues are doing far better financially so far this season compared with the first five months of last season, but they still aren’t up to budget projections, the Berks County Convention Center Authority learned Thursday.

Several shows sold out, but attendance at others – among them Alan Jackson and American Idol – was lackluster, Zane Collings, general manager, told the board.

The civic center generally operates at a loss the first five months and did so again this year, he said. The loss was more than the budget projection, but far less than last year, he said.

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=438334

Australian Pink Floyd Rocks Sovereign Center In Reading

The stage design before a show. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Tonight, a Pink Floyd tribute band, Australian Pink Floyd put on a 2 hour show at the Sovereign Performing Arts Center in downtown Reading.  The packed house was on their feet, dancing, clapping, holding up lighters and making various other signs of approval throughout the show.

The first half of the show was one hour.  The band took a 20 minute break, returned to the stage and played for another hour followed by one encore.  I thought the stomping on the floor in the balcony was going to collapse it!

There are so many Pink Floyd songs that you can’t pack them into one show.  I was disappointed that they did not play Money but they did perform a number of Pink Floyd’s other hits and some songs which I did not know.  My personal favorite album by Pink Floyd is Dark Side of the Moon.

The light show and special effects were awesome!  There was a large object the resembled the Stargate (if you ever watched any of those shows on Syfy or the movie) which was constantly streaming pictures.   Fog, laser and strobe lights abounded.  There were also two huge inflatables.  One was the teacher from Another Brick In The Wall and the second was a giant bouncing kangaroo!  A gigantic disco ball was lowered from the ceiling at the end of the show to add even more sensory overload to the experience.

The musicality was superb.  I don’t think you could get a better Pink Floyd show unless the actual band performed it.  The instrumentalists and singers were all excellent.  No weak links.  Even the backup singers were amazing.  All in all it was worth every penny and then some.

Surprisingly, there were a good number of younger fans in the audience.  It wasn’t by any means made up of mostly 60’s and 70’s era folks.  Lots of 20 somethings in the house which I find pretty cool.  The music of Pink Floyd is evidently timeless if it is still being embraced by young people.

If you like the music of Pink Floyd I highly recommend taking in an Australian Pink Floyd concert in a city near you!

Click here to go to the group’s website: http://www.aussiefloyd.com/

Click here to read the Reading Eagle’s glowing review of last night performance:

http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=428061