Forget the old “Saturday Night Live” joke about a rock band needing “more cowbell,” the U.S. Cellular Coliseum needs more Kenny Chesney, more Brad Paisley, more country.

The sold-out Kenny Chesney concert in September helped the Coliseum record a profit that month and also helped boost year-to-date figures into the plus side.

A record 8,256 people attended the concert Sept. 17 and nearly 2,500 people took part in a pre-concert tailgate party.

Barely two months after that concert, tickets went on sale for the Jan. 24 Paisley concert and sold out in less than an hour.

Obviously, one profitable month doesn’t mean a complete turnaround for the Coliseum, which continues to be a financial drain on the city. However, it does show what can be done with the right talent and promotion.

The one-time boost from Chesney was welcome, but a longer-term payoff is needed.

Hopefully, all those Chesney fans who came and enjoyed the concert and the surroundings will be more likely to attend another concert at the Coliseum and patronize nearby stores, restaurants and bars.

The Coliseum has been doing a good job of bringing well-known country performers to town.

Paisley just won the male vocalist of the year honors from the Country Music Association.

Joining him at the Coliseum will be Miranda Lambert, CMA female vocalist of the year, who also was part of September’s Chesney concert.

Also part of the Chesney concert was the Zac Brown Band. Zac Brown and the band carrying his name were nominated for four CMA awards this year.

Lady Antebellum, which performed at the Coliseum in 2008, won this year’s CMA awards for vocal group of the year and single of the year.

Of course, the Coliseum needs to provide a variety of entertainment — not just country.

There has been a steady stream of rock bands as well as family-oriented programs and difficult to categorize events, such as World Championship ICE Racing.

The Bloomington PrairieThunder hockey team and Bloomington Extreme indoor football team have developed a loyal following. But it would be good to see more people in the seats.

The PrairieThunder is undefeated at home and in first place in the International Hockey League. But it has averaged only about 2,700 a game so far this season, third in the seven-team league.

The Extreme had an average attendance of about 4,000 per game last season.

The Coliseum has done a good job of improving the community’s quality of life by providing entertainment opportunities and a meeting place for conventions and other events. But it also needs to improve its financial standing.

Based on recent success, that means making an extra effort to book well-known country performers.