Moondance aims to handle big crowd

By: Robby Robinson, For the Pioneer

July 13, 2002

WALKER - Originally expected to close its gates at 7 p.m. today due to a sellout, Moondance Jam promoter Bill Bieloh said Friday that the Jam will do its best to let in everyone who shows up to the concert. Single-day concert sales for both Thursday and Saturday were greater than expected with 18,000 in attendance for the Thursday show.

"We had a surprising number of people buying tickets for Thursday when the top bands were Meat Loaf and Styx," he said. "But we know Saturday will be a full house so we moved some concessions around and our staff made room to do the best to accommodate everyone who shows up. At some point you have to draw the line for the enjoyment of those already on the grounds."

The lineup today includes Loverboy, Dio, Deep Purple and Scorpions.

With single-night attendance topping 20,000 a number of times in the last three years, Bieloh said that the concert is reaching its capacity and from now on the objective will be to expand for comfort, not for capacity.

A goal will be to sell out earlier in the year for future Moondance Jams and draw the line at or near current attendance levels, he said.

Bieloh said Thursday that there will be a Moondance Jam in 2003 and 2004. The concert series began a decade ago as a birthday party for his wife, Kathy, and was billed as the Moondance Jam and Bar-b-que '92.