CLIO, Michigan (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — The Clio Area Amphitheater has managed to beat the odds and posted a profit for the first time since filing for bankruptcy protection in 2005.
The profit was a modest one – only $15,600 – with $10,000 largely accumulated from raffles and donations and $5,000 from concession proceeds in a year beset with weather problems and a tough economic situation.
After shutting down in 2005 after going chapter 7, the city, which owns the shed, reopened the venue with a volunteer staff in 2007. It struggled for the first year, featuring primarily local acts and suffering from inclement weather, but last year, the venue saw a return to the black with a new board of governors and new strategy of featuring tribute bands.
According to the The Flint Journal, the shed hosted 17 shows this year, including six free concerts with an estimated attendance of 20,000.
Last year, the city made a one-time investment of $40,000 to fund the tribute shows and the venue owners hope that promoters and sponsors will be encouraged to step in help the venue expand their offerings in 2009.
City Administrator Jack Abernathy told the Journal "It shows people who were once sponsors that we can revive it, and we're getting it up and running. I made a challenge to the governing board to make it bigger and better for 2009." – CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
