Convocation Center ready for action

by Mark McGowan

NIU's Convocation Center is ready to open in grand style with a flurry of events scheduled around the start of the fall semester.

Thousands of new students and their families, along with NIU faculty and staff, can take their first peek at 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22, during the Huskie Bash. A second opportunity — and the bragging rights to having seen the first show ever — comes Friday, Aug. 23, when legendary comedian Bill Cosby takes the stage.

More curious crowds are expected from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 25, during a public open house. Finally, fans of modern rock will enjoy an evening of music Tuesday, Aug. 27, with Mike and Joe, one of the most-watched cover bands in the Midwest.

John A. Gordon, director of the Convocation Center, believes the arena will impress its neighbors: Many groups who already toured the center during its construction have exclaimed, "Wow! This is in DeKalb? This is NIU?"

"I hope people come and look at the building and get that `wow' experience," said Gordon, who has opened arenas in Florida, North Dakota and Canada. "It's always fun when you're part of something that people are excited about."

Construction of the $36 million multi-purpose facility began in October of 2000.

The 215,000-square-foot Convocation Center sits on a 52-acre parcel that also boasts 3,000 parking spaces. The arena has up to 10,000 seats with retractable backs, an eight-sided video scoreboard, a 200-meter track and an auxiliary gym with bleacher seating for 800. Events will include concerts, family-oriented programming and trade exhibitions, such as farm shows, RV and boat shows and home and garden shows. The Convocation Center also will feature sports, including NIU Huskies basketball (both the men's and the women's teams begin play the weekend of Nov. 22). Athletes will enjoy the arena's six locker rooms, state-of-the-art athletic training facilities and practice gyms.

Construction crews are working to complete installation of the eight-sided, ceiling-hung video scoreboard and the curtains in the 45,000-square-foot "bowl" area of the Convocation Center.

Joe Coots, manager of marketing and corporate sales for the Convocation Center, said the Aug. 27 "Welcome Back Concert" featuring Mike and Joe is "just a way for us to give the students a good, low-cost, enjoyable evening."

"We have a great opportunity for our students to get a chance to see one of their favorite local acts in an arena setting," Coots said, "and it's a cheap ticket."

Tickets go on sale Friday, Aug. 16, and cost $5.50 for NIU students and $7.50 for everyone else. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster at (312) 559-1212 or www.ticketmaster.com. DeKalb band Mer opens the show. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Mike and Joe came together at Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind., originally forming as an acoustic duo featuring Mike Notaro and Joe Valentino. The pair became popular on their own campus and at other colleges and universities around Indiana and, eventually, Illinois. They added Chicago-area bars to their touring schedule and, in 1996, expanded the band to include bass guitarist Mar Blackwell and drummer Aaron Streich.

Mike and Joe have released three CDs and have widened their touring radius to include Iowa and Ohio. The band now plays more than 175 shows a year. For more information, call (888) MIKE-JOE or visit www.mikeandjoe.com online.

For more information on the open house, call 752-6800. More information on the Convocation Center is available online at www.convocenter.niu.edu.