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For River Bandits, the show must go on each night

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By Craig DeVrieze | Wednesday, March 19, 2008 |

While would-be St. Louis Cardinals labor to reach “The Show,” the Quad-City River Bandits organization plans to put on a show of its own at all 70 home games this season.

The club unveiled a new marketing initiative Thursday at Modern Woodmen Park, where fans this year often will hear the refrain “You gotta see the show!”

Team vice president and general manager Kirk Goodman said live entertainment and an enhanced video operation will be part of a commitment to enhance the entertainment experience beyond the baseball played on the field.

The club will promote 6 p.m., when doors open at the newly named ballyard, as “showtime,” and will employ local bands, dance teams and other groups to entertain throughout a spring or summer’s evening.

The new ownership group, Main Street Baseball Inc., also has invested more than $130,000 in video board improvements and production equipment to use the scoreboard’s big screen to enhance the viewing experience.

The changes are being implemented under the direction of Total Sports Entertainment and sports marketing industry leader Bob Mascewicz, a former member of “The Blues Brothers” duo that entertained at sports venues throughout the world more than a decade ago, including several Quad-City Thunder games.

“We are all about making the experience a show rather than just a baseball game,” Goodman said. “Bob has changed the mentality of what we do at the ballpark. Hopefully, we’re going to bring a new energy and a new excitement even for those who aren’t baseball fans.’’

Mascewicz said the in-game experience will be new and improved, with contests and promotions changing on a nightly basis.

“There will be 70 different shows,” he said. “The April 3 season opener will be a great show. April 4 will be great too, but it will be different.’’

Each game will have a separate promotional theme, starting with a “Lose Your Blues!” promotion on opening night, where fans who bring in old Swing of the Quad-Cities gear will be able to exchange it for new black Bandits T-shirts.

“We want to help get rid of fashion mistakes made the last few years,” Goodman said.

Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the club will stage tryouts for Q-C entertainers interested in being part of this year’s promotional schedule.

Craig DeVrieze can be contacted at (563) 333-2610 or cdevrieze@qctimes.com.