Elton jams downtown businesses

Elton John at Covelli Centre

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By LINDA M. LINONIS

linonis@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Only a saint outdrew a singer in one-day business at The Lemon Grove on West Federal Streetw.

“It was our second-best day ever,” said owner Jacob Harver of Saturday’s business, buoyed by concert-goers to Sir Elton John’s performance at the Covelli Centre. Harver cited the St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl as the best day yet for his business, which opened in August 2009.

The sold-out concert, the largest in the center’s history, drew some 7,200 area fans of the music legend.

The cafe and lounge sponsored “Lemonisco," an effort to recreate Studio 54, the legendary New York disco of the 1970s. “A lot of people dressed for it,” Harver said, adding the cafe awarded a $100 gift certificate to the best-dressed person for the era. “It was a light and sound extravaganza,” he said, adding disco balls helped create the atmosphere.

Harver said hundreds of people were in and out of the Lemon Grove before and after Sir Elton’s show. “We do a lot of business after shows at DeYor,” he said, “But nothing like after the Elton show.”

Harver said he heard comments from people who haven’t been downtown in years. “People now realize the downtown is back ... and the downtown nightlife is back,” he said.

Harver said concerts that bring people downtown “really show the growth potential.”

He also credited Mahoning Commons Festival, a Saturday and Sunday arts event involving artists, musicians and performers at the Ward Bakery Building, former Calvin Center now the Idea Incubator, and the Victorian Players, with drawing people downtown.

Chuck Sop, one of the owners at the Rosetta Stone on West Federal Street said the restaurant, which featured a buffet, was booming before the concert.

After the concert, people streamed into the downtown bars and restaurants. “It was unbelievable. After the concert, the downtown was swamped by people from the concert,” Sop said. “People were in a festive mood. It was exciting.”

“It was a night almost equal to the crowds after [Kelly] Pavlik’s first fight in Youngstown, Sop said of the business at the Rosetta Stone. He also noted that the St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl also was a boom.

Sop said he was glad people from Cleveland and Pittsburgh areas who attended the concert could see what nightlife downtown Youngstown had to offer. “It wasn’t just Youngstown people here.”

Sop added that an employee told him two customers were with Sir Elton’s entourage.

He added that downtown bars and restaurants benefit from good drawing cards at Coveli, Stambaugh Auditorium and DeYor. But, he noted, the city and media need to inform people attending events downtown about parking options.

Business also was good at the Downtown Draught House, West Federal Street, before and after the concert, said Kelly Gordon, bartender, who worked Saturday night. “We were really busy between 6:30 and 9 p.m.,” she said.

After the concert, people stopped by for nightcaps and played their favorite Sir Elton’s songs on the jukebox.

Eric Ryan, executive director of the Covelli Centre, said the Elton John concert was a milestone for the center in three ways — it was a record concert crowd, highest grossing event and fastest sellout because tickets were gone in 20 minutes.

“It’s a close call,” Ryan said as to whether the concert or the Pavlik fight of February 2009 had the largest attendance.

Ryan, who had the chance to meet Sir Elton, said the singer did understand the significance of his concert for the Covelli Center. “He’s played to crowds of 100,000 and more,” Ryan said. “That’s why he is what he is.”

Ryan said his impression of Sir Elton was a “genuine” person and “down to earth.” “He said it was his honor to be here,” Ryan added.

Ryan said the centre had “no problems” and the concert “went off without a hitch.” The word I heard a lot was magical,” Ryan said.

of Sir Elton’s concert.

SEE ALSO: At Covelli concert, Elton John delivers like it was first time.