Jimmy Buffett, Concert Series Bring Business To AC In Midst Of Economic Uncertainty
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (CBS) -- Parrotheads are here and many more are on the way as Mr. Margaritaville himself, Jimmy Buffett, is set to perform in Atlantic City on Saturday. He's the first of four artists who will perform during the 2016 Atlantic City Beach Concert Series.
On Friday, Eyewitness News got a behind-the-scenes look at the construction of the stage that took thousands of man hours to assemble.
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"We work with the local stage hand union Local 77 and I would say an average of about 60 men per day and that's a good 10 or 12 hour day for about 10 days to erect what you see here," said Marc Zarych, Tri-State Staging Foreman.
The summer concert series, along with the Atlantic City Airshow, are some of the biggest non-casino draws for the city. For years, Atlantic City has been trying to build a reputation as the entertainment capital of the east coast.
"It's a great thing for the city of Atlantic City, anytime we can showcase this city to people from near and far is a win win," said Atlantic City Council President Marty Small.
The concert series kicks off at a time when Atlantic City is bracing themselves for the expected closure of the Taj Mahal Casino, which will lay off about 3,000 workers. While the Buffett concert, and other events, don't make up for the lost jobs, they do provide some money for local businesses and good news for a town that's had a lot of hard luck.
Live Nation says that ticket sales for the remaining shows are strong. 20,000 to 30,000 people are expected for Zac Brown Band, Blink 182 and Florida Georgia Line.