Ho-Chunk Gaming Wittenberg hosted its highly anticipated summer concert featuring opening acts Bohemian Queen and Hotel California-The Original Eagles Tribute with FireHouse as the electric headliner and shattered attendance records Aug. 22.
As goals set by Ho-Chunk Gaming Wittenberg to beat their highest house count of 1,200 set by The Steve Augeri Band performing Journey’s Greatest Hits in 2022 were hit, a new goal of 1,400 was set, only to be exceeded by total guest sales of 1,617.
The coordinated effort of community and staff worked to bring an entertainment experience like no other to the small community.
“Seamless teamwork and experience from past events really helped our employees bring that great customer service to our guests that enjoyed the concert,” said Fletcher Collins, executive manager for Ho-Chunk Gaming Wittenberg. “The incredible energy our guests and team brought to the venue was the real highlight of the night, and it lifted the entire experience to another level.”
Guests were entertained by three unique and familiar bands. Opening the night, Bohemian Queen hyped the crowd with big vocals, costumes, stage presence and recognizable Queen favorites. Hotel California-The Original Eagles Tribute wooed the crowd with harmonies and recreating the musicianship of the Eagles. The headliner and only original recording act of the three, FireHouse, lit up the night with energy and vocals that brought their multiplatinum rock hits to a ready audience.
”It was important to Ho-Chunk Gaming Wittenberg to have an event that was affordable for our community while providing a highly electric entertaining event,” said Jessica White Wing Clark, senior public relations manager. “With our economy being the way it currently is, we truly wanted a larger-scale concert experience that people could afford, right in our own backyard.”
Keeping the event local also meant avoiding many of the added costs that often come with traveling to a larger concert venue, such as longer-distance traveling, overnight accommodations and parking fees. Guests eagerly embraced the chance to have a massive concert experience close to home, driving ticket sales past every previous milestone.
”Considering the population of Wittenberg is 1,081, our crowd size was literally one-and-a-half times our town’s total population,” said Tracy Pecore, marketing director. “Our community made this night historic. The guests made all the difference, turning Wittenberg into the absolute entertainment hub of the region for the evening.”
