How accurate are these crowd estimates?   I read projections for the Boomsday fireworks show of 300,000 attendees.  I just did a quick in and out to see the show.  But from my brief experience, the traffic/parking didn't seem any worse than that at a typical football game.

Are there really 300,000 people there? 

Brian A.
I'd rather be cycling.

IMHO Knox Tourism and Sports Co. is the bunch who can't shoot straight.  Have they ever done anything well for this city?  Seems to me more like a string of goofy ideas that cost way more than the city gets in payback.  

Build a decent town that people want to come to, and they will.  Make the biggest noise, have the most crowds, and pay the biggest jerk in show business an eigth of a million dollars, and why would people want to endure that crap?  (And don't bother checking out the projection TV in the sun!)

I would want come to Knoxville for the peace and quiet and the surrounding scenery, but I guess I'm just weird that way.  The scenery here has been about ruined and K-burg via T&S Corp. will do anything for crowds. Some fun, oh boy!

I had never even heard of this Gentry idiot, but the biggest bluegrass bands in the business I believe charge anywhere from 1/20 to 1/5 what this lying slaughterer of defenseless animals made off with. 

Heckofa job, Knox T &  A  S Corp!! 

Thanks, Factchecker,

I thought I was the only one who had never heard of Gentry until I read about his bear business.

Maybe the organizers should consider KSO for Boomsday.  I think they could pull it off and they could use the money - especially if you're talking about $125K.

The Boston Pops Orchestra has a great July 4th celebration on the Esplanade.  They have a tradition of finishing the show with the ubiquitous 1812 Overture, complete with Howitzers.  That piece should be gaudy enough to appeal to even a die hard redneck.

Of course they also have several big name guests performing as well, but that's Boston, not a scruffy little backwater town like Knoxville.

Sounds like the expanding to 3 days was a bust. I think most people saw it as such beforehand. So if you nix the Friday night debacle with those assclowns Montgomery Gentry, then they're outta the red? Who in their right mind thinks that booking this act for 125k is a good idea? It's not just that they aren't worth the 125k, that much should have never been spent for a Friday night show. I don't care who it is.

Oh, come on, Baptist is South of the river, thus "SoKno", not downtown. Bearden was never considered downtown.

Never before has a Downtownista considered these insiders.

Maybe ticket sales would be a little more robust if they booked someone other than a country music act. Would it kill them? Not everyone in in this area goes all weak in the knees over country music. KTSC might be surprised to hear that there are other types of music. Why not go crazy next year and try a bluegrass group? Possibly Allison Krauss? I have never gone to Boomsday as I've seen enough fireworks to last a lifetime, but I would go see Allison...or anyone else that isn't one of the current crop of country " look at me I look like a pop singer" acts. Here's another idea. Let's go back to having a street party downtown like back in the day with multiple musical groups performing, then cap it off with fireworks rather than having fireworks as the main event.

A year ago a friend of mine on the EarthFest organizing committee said that Sheryl Crow's fee for a concert with an environmentally friendly theme (like EarthFest)was something like $45K. It might be more now. Keep in mind the same people that pay $125K for a Country "star" who murders tame bears are the same ones who run to the polls to vote for W because he will protect them from "terra". Who will protect the bears from terra?