Platinum-selling rock 'n' roll band Chicago are scheduled to play a concert Aug. 9 at Drury University's O'Reilly Family Event Center.
Chicago, which was formed in 1967 and grew to fame in the 1970s, is known for hits such as "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" and "Colour My World," among others.
The group has released 32 albums since its inception, selling more than 38 million units, according to a Drury news release.
"They're a huge act," Matt Miller, O'Reilly Family Event Center director of athletic advancement and event services, said in a phone interview. "Obviously, it's something we're really excited about. For a venue our size, we feel we're lucky to have them."
Miller said approximately 3,200 tickets are available for the show. Tickets - which range from $41-$77 - went on sale yesterday, but Miller said first-day ticket sales hadn't been tallied.
Drury works with event promoter Howard Cotner of Springfield-based Cotner Productions Inc., which books acts for the event center.
Miller pointed to the Pointer Sisters, Sheryl Crow and Dierks Bentley as evidence of a fruitful partnership.
"The university really isn't in the business of conducting concerts and promoting national acts," Miller said. "It's been a good relationship so far."
In the Springfield Business Journal article "
Universities seek to break even on arenas," Miller said that breaking even on the O'Reilly Family Event Center is a higher priority than profitability at this point in time. He noted the influence of concerts on the bottom line for the arena, which is primarily used for athletics.
“There’s a really fine line and a delicate balance that has to be maintained. Between Oct. 15 and the end of March, this is primarily an athletics facility,” Miller said in the article. “When we start taking a look at the number of concerts that we feel like we need to have and the number of special events that are revenue-generating, there are a limited amount of times available for those because our teams have to practice and, obviously, we have to have games in here.”
“We’re not going to make nearly as much on a basketball game as we would by having a big, national act in here like Sheryl Crow,” he added.
Chicago tickets are available at
www.drurytickets.com, by calling (417) 873-6389 or by visiting the O'Reilly Family Event Center box office.[[In-content Ad]]
