BLOOMINGTON -- A crowd of 6,100 jammed downtown Bloomington and the U.S. Cellular Coliseum for Reba McEntire's June 2008 concert, followed by another 3,900 who listened to Boston in July, and 4,000 who cheered the Stone Temple Pilots in August.

One year later, those throngs are gone.

Entertainment options at the $35.8 million, city-owned Coliseum have been virtually non-existent this summer. There has been no major talent since singer Joe Cocker performed in May, drawing 1,200. And only a handful of acts are scheduled for the rest of the year - though one, country singer Kenny Chesney, could very well break attendance records.

Coliseum officials said they are taking a conservative approach to bookings because of the economy. The thinking is endorsed by the city, struggling with its own $5 million shortfall.

Both groups want a balance between staying busy and staying in the black -- an ongoing concern for a facility that lost $172,000 for the first two months of this year.

"If we are booking shows that are going to lose money for the sake of keeping the building busy, that's not going to do us any good," said Mayor Steve Stockton. "On the other side, every day the Coliseum sits empty it loses money."

Two summer acts

This summer only two acts -- Disney's High School Musical Summer Celebration and an upcoming performance by the Wiggles -- have been booked into the 7,500-seat arena for this summer. The Disney event drew a sparse crowd of about 900.

In contrast, last summer the facility had five major concerts that kept the building, and surrounding bars and restaurants, bustling.

So far, the upcoming fall schedule, a time when the Coliseum typically makes money, holds little activity. Central Illinois Arena Management, the private firm that oversees the facility, must provide minor league hockey and indoor football under terms of its contract with the city.

Football finished last month and the hockey season will begin soon. But beyond that, there are only five additional events scheduled between now and the end of the year, including Chesney's Sept. 17 concert.

"We've got some announcements in the hopper," said Coliseum General Manager Bart Rogers. "But we are definitely taking a different approach this year than we did last year."

'Huge rollercoaster'

And that's reflected in the numbers. Last year, from August through December, the Coliseum had 47 non-sporting events, including 12 concerts.

That's partly because the Bloomington City Council pushed Coliseum managers to book more events, hoping to generate both activity and a steady income.

But the fiscal year ended April 30 with a $440,000 deficit, and that figure doesn't include the nearly $2 million in annual bond and interest payments on the building. A sales tax hike now covers those payments.

Rogers said the economy has also cut the number of acts available for consideration, because fewer groups and performers are touring. Also, Coliseum managers are being more selective.

"It's a huge rollercoaster right now," Rogers said.

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Coliseum entertainment

The line-up for this summer at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum has resulted in fewer concerts than last year. As the Coliseum goes into the fall, typically the busier part of its financial year, only five events outside of hockey games have been scheduled. Central Illinois Arena Management's contract with the city of Bloomington calls for football and hockey games to be played at the Coliseum every year.

Month	2008	2009
June	11 non-football events, including one concert.	Six non-football events, including one concert.
July	Three events, including one concert.	One football game.
August	16 events, including four concerts.	One concert.
September	Six events, including one concert.	Three events, including one concert.
October	Eight non-hockey events, including three concerts.	None scheduled.
November	Seven non-hockey events, including two concerts.	None scheduled.
December	10 non-hockey events, including two concerts.	One concert.

Source: Annual attendance reports and U.S. Cellular Coliseum's posted schedule.