If it seemed like fewer people were at the second annual Legends concert, held Oct. 8 at the Columbus Riverwalk, that’s for good reason: Organizers estimate there were around 450 fewer attendees this year, though they’ve not yet determined the cause.
Between 1,650 and 1,750 music lovers flocked to the event this year, in contrast with the estimated 2,200 people who attended last year’s inaugural gala, Steve Rogers, vice president of the Legends Concert Foundation, said Wednesday afternoon.
Rogers said the concert’s lighter attendance may have been due in part to the fact that last year’s event was tied to other activities, serving as the culmination of a four-day event which celebrated the life of Negro League legend and Major League baseball star Sam Hairston.
This year’s event was also hampered by a last-minute change in the artist line-up after organizers were unable to secure Three Dog Night, one of two acts they had anticipated as the headliners.
The Legends Concert Foundation requested $35,000 from the Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau in June, but the CVB board voted against funding the concert at that time, despite warnings from Rogers that $31,000 was needed quickly in order to pay the deposit to secure one of the bands.
The CVB generally reviews presentations and renders decisions at the following month’s board meeting. In addition, some board members expressed concern that the CVB did not have the funds in its coffers at the time.
In July, the CVB voted to provide the $35,000, but by that time, Three Dog Night was no longer an option, Rogers said.
“We lost who we had anticipated … and had to regroup,” Rogers said. “It was August by the time we were looking again, and that took some of the others off the table.”
“Everyone in town should know we hear a proposal one month, and the board always delays the decision on funding (until) the following month,” said CVB Executive Director Nancy Carpenter Thursday morning. “They’re not going to … make an immediate decision without careful consideration.”
Carpenter said any organization seeking funding for an event is subject to the CVB’s consideration of what impact the event will have on the organization’s mission of bringing tourists to the city.
“The board members are very, very competent and very thoughtful in seeing out other information about an event so when the information comes to them, they study the information and then make a decision the following month,” she said.
Rogers said the late start in planning and marketing may have taken a slight toll in attendance, but overall he was pleased with the turnout.
“We were very pleased with it,” Rogers said. “We weren’t discouraged by the numbers at all. … Every year, you try to build it and grow … you learn some lessons … the response has been fabulous.”
Although four acts performed this year — The Flames, Rare Earth, Artemis Pyle and The Temptations featuring Dennis Edwards — Rogers anticipates only having, at most, two major acts and possibly one local band next year.
The music style may — or may not — change, as well. Though the first concert featured blues legends Percy Sledge and Bobby “Blue” Bland, Rogers said next year’s concert could feature a country artist or a band from some other genre.
The one thing that will not change is the mission, which is to bring big-name performers to Columbus while retaining an emphasis on diversity, Rogers said.
“That’s been the goal since day one,” Rogers said. “Next year’s lineup, whether it’s one act or two, will continue another step up the musical ladder.”
Carpenter said Rogers will make a “project clearance report” to the CVB at the November board meeting. The report, which is required of all organizations which seek CVB funding for events, will provide a line-item account of how the money was spent and the financial impact upon the city.
Carmen K. Sisson is the former news editor at The Dispatch.
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