The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Port board approves extension for Rockin’ on the River
It’ll be a decade of rock ‘n’ roll by the time Rockin’ on the River has its final encore in Lorain.
On Sept. 10, the Lorain Port Authority board voted 8-0 to approve another contract extension to keep the weekly summer concert series at Black River Landing through September 2024.
The resolution included a summary of how Falls River Concerts owners Bob and Sandy Earley became an added spark to efforts to revitalize downtown Lorain since they inked a deal with the Port in 2014.
“Rockin’ on the River has brought world class entertainment to Black River Landing for hundreds of thousands of music fans,” the resolution said.
“Rockin’ on the River has had a tremendous impact promoting safe and secure entertainment in Lorain, which has fostered a renewed entrepreneurial spirit,” the resolution related.
“Rockin’ on the River’s founders Bob and Sandy Earley have been huge supporters of Lorain and its progress while also providing support to a wide variety of nonprofits. The Lorain Port Authority wishes to extend the current contract with Rockin’ on the River which will ensure a 10-year partnership and 10 years of quality entertainment.”
In 2018, the Port board extended the Earleys’ contract through the 2021 season.
At the suggestion of Port board members, Lorain Port Authority Executive Director Tom Brown said he began asking Bob Earley about extending the agreement for an even longer term.
“They won’t let me out; I can’t escape them,” Bob Earley quipped in a joking manner.
On a serious note, the Port Authority has had success and could have shopped around for another promoter, Earley said.
That is what happened in Cuyahoga Falls, where Rockin’ on the River started and ran for years before coming to Lorain, he said.
The Port board decision was not a surprise because of the attitude and nature of the members, Earley said.
“They’re just class people; I don’t even know how to tell you anything else,” he said. “We weren’t shocked because that’s the kind of people they are. You don’t find people like that all the time.
“And God knows we just love Lorain, so we couldn’t be happier. People in Lorain should be proud of the Lorain Port Authority. They’re just thinking of the future of the city. They have the interest of the city at heart. And I think it’s cool, it’s awesome.”
During the meeting, Brown offered his synopsis of the 2019 concert series.
“Obviously, we had a very successful season,” he said. “I think attendance numbers had to be broken this year.”
Apart from loud music and people having fun, there was little to report because there were no issues or trouble that required police action, Brown said.
Some bands drew fewer fans than others, he said, and he predicted the Earleys would have fewer backto-back shows on Friday and Saturday nights next year.
In 2012, 2013 and 2014, the Port organized concerts at Black River Landing.
Although popular, the Port generally lost money on the shows, Brown said.
Now, the Port has a partnership that can make a little money on the musical acts, he said.
“We might get a better deal out there somewhere, but the goodwill, the activity and the positive flow that we get out of Rockin’ on the River, I think, goes beyond value right now,” Brown said.
The reference to the Earleys supporting nonprofits happens when local charitable and booster groups man the beer taps at the shows in exchange for donations to their causes.
Outstanding
Port Board Chairman Brad Mullins said Rockin’ on the River has done an outstanding job.
Mullins predicted better things for summer 2020, when visitors to the city see the completed Broadway streetscape, a number of new restaurants and the renovated Ariel Broadway Hotel.
Those amenities in turn can draw other business owners bringing jobs to Lorain, a city where it is affordable to live and work, Mullins said.
“I really see how this is starting to come together,” he said. “It’s exciting; it’s exciting to Lorain.
“Bob’s been at the forefront of development here, bringing people from Lorain and from outside of Lorain to see what Lorain’s about.”