Entertainment
Hiring more staffers at La Crosse Center could mean more concerts, and more dollars
This may be a tough year for music lovers to see concerts in La Crosse.
Copeland Park recently announced it would not have a spring concert at Logger Field for 2025, but hopes to schedule a show late in the summer. And the La Crosse Center has similar scheduling trouble. Director Jay Odegaard tells the center board that the main arena, which can seat up to 8000 people, may not be the ideal size for some concerts.
At a Center Board meeting this week, Odegaard recalled the early years of the arena, when La Crosse had minor-league basketball to bring in crowds.
“If we had another Catbirds, it’d be great,” said Odegaard. “But that’s just not something that’s on the table, and as some of you that have been around know, that didn’t always end up real great either, but those are some of the problems with the shows.”
Odegaard says the increase in regional music festivals, such as Country Boom at West Salem, can make it hard for arenas to attract some shows. “We’re, like, too big for some, we’re too small for others, and so we’re trying to find our niche.” He says the center is in a “tight spot”financially, and he believes adding more sales positions could help.
According to budget figures, the civic center had $8.7 million in revenues last year, but $9 million in expenses, leading to a $400,000 deficit.
Bob N.
March 20, 2025 at 8:01 am
We were all told that the recent remodeling and expansion would add to the attractiveness and marketability of the Center, to justify spending the money.
Now the City is already saying the Center in it’s present form is a hard sell.
400 thousand dollars a year loss. Why not have the Homeless Co-ordinator get on the phone and make some pitches. He’s not doing anything these days.