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• Big country music act and American Idol star coming to River Falls
• U.S. Air Force band to give free concert in River Falls, Sept. 16

By Katrina Styx, RiverTown Staff intern

Write it on the calendar: River Falls is going to have itself a concert.

Neal McCoy, TNN (The National Network, now Spike TV) and Country Music News' 1999 entertainer of the year, will perform live at PR's Place, 1107 South Wasson Lane, from 5-10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5.

And that's not all. Opening for McCoy will be 2005 American Idol runner-up Bo Bice.

This is the first major concert event Chris Brookins, owner of PR's Place, has scheduled since he bought the business in May.

On June 24, Brookins approached the City Council with a request for a "one-time noise variance" for an outdoor concert. The event, he said, would be a test run to find out if the community is interested in seeing big-name live entertainment.

This concert is it, Brookins said last week.

He chose the performers based on a couple factors.

"One, I thought country would go over best in this town," he said. "And two, I got a good price."

Preparations for the concert are keeping him busy.

"It's a 40-hour-a-week job putting this together," he said.

Not only does he have to make sure the site is ready, but he said he's meeting with vendors, keeping in contact with the City Council, police and fire departments, the security company he chose to work with and his own internal staff. He is also arranging parking locations to accommodate the 2,000-4,000 people he hopes will attend.

Police Chief Roger Leque expressed some concerns about managing traffic and parking in the area and said he plans to step up staffing during the concert.

Leque also emphasized the point that, because of the noise variance the City Council granted to Brookins, the police will not be able to respond to any noise complaints due to the concert.

"We just want to make sure that it's well managed," Leque said.

Brookins said he hired a professional security company to manage the event.

In fact, it's the same company protecting the presidential candidates in the upcoming Republican National Convention. Brookins said he trusts the company's ability to ensure everyone at the concert is safe.

This isn't the first event Brookins has held at PR's Place, though it will be the first outdoor concert. He has hosted a number of tribute bands already, including tributes to Tom Petty, Styx, REO Speedwagon and Journey, among others.

If the McCoy/Bice concert goes well, Brookins said he wants to keep going with more bands and concerts.

"This is what I bought this place for," he said.

He added that he hopes PR's can be more than just a bar. He said he wants it to be a place where people can bring their kids as well. He also mentioned the possibility of hosting cancer benefits.

"If there's something I can do to help, I'd love to do it," he said.

Tickets for the concert can be bought from Ticketmaster or PR's Place for $35 before the show or $39 at the door. Brookins added that he will also be selling a limited number of tickets for an indoor meet-and-greet session with both bands.

A complete list of events and features at PR's Place can be found online at www.prsplace.com.

The 33 member United States Air Force Band of Mid-America Concert Band will perform a free concert at the River Falls High School auditorium at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 16th.

Tickets are required. They are available for pick up at the River Falls Journal office, 2815 Prairie Drive, and Quiznos Sub, 303 S. Main St., River Falls. The Journal office is open from 8 a.m.- 5 p.m., M-F.

Tickets can also be obtained by sending a request with a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: The Journal, P. 0. Box 25, River Falls, Wl 50422.

The band is a diverse ensemble whose repertoire ranges from symphonic band masterworks, to traditional marches, to pops and jazz.

The concert is likely to include works from contemporary composers as well as the familiar sounds of John Philip Sousa or Major Glenn Miller. The band also features vocal soloists, performing a variety of popular, classical, and patriotic selections.

This ensemble primarily performs free civic outreach and recruiting concerts for audiences throughout the Midwest, playing more than 100 engagements each year.

The band has also performed in New York City, Philadelphia, Seattle, the Gulf Coast, Germany, the Netherlands, Costa Rica, Barbados, Grenada, Guatemala, Venezuela, Bolivia, and the Azores.

The Concert Band is based at Scott AFB, outside St. Louis. Its visit to River Falls is part of an upper Midwest tour that includes stops in Eau Claire, Rice Lake and LaCrosse.

The band is often called upon to provide musical support for visiting dignitaries, and has had the distinction of performing for Pope John Paul II, Presidents George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Jimmy Carter, the Queen of the Netherlands, and hundreds of other US and foreign leaders.

A nine-member ensemble called "Hot Brass", performed at a variety of venues at Balad Air Base, Iraq, in April of this year.

The band has also backed many notable guest artists such as Bob Hope, Wilford Brimley, Jamie Farr, and the U.S.O. Girls.

For more information about the band, go to www.bandofmidamerica.af.mil/.