Craig Daily Press

Centennial

Information about Craig's Centennial

Craig — When Dave Pike thinks back to his high school years, he remembers the band Three Dog Night was in the middle of a good run.

They had 21 consecutive Top 40 songs, 12 consecutive gold albums and from 1969 to 1974 no band had more Top 10 hits, Pike said.

“Jeez, when I was in high school they were huge, but I guess I’m really dating myself now,” he said.

Pike, Craig Parks and Re­­creation Department director, and the city of Craig are bringing that pedigree to Craig’s Centennial Celebration as part of the grand closing, which includes an air show at Moffat County Regional Airport about the same time.

Three Dog Night has reportedly agreed to perform an evening show July 12 at the Moffat County Fairgrounds, Pike said.

The band — once known for their live shows — still is going strong, he added.

Pike saw the band’s show in Grand Junction last November, a day after his birthday.

“They didn’t miss a lick when I saw them,” Pike said. “They cranked when I saw them. The singing was right there with their albums.”

The band sold out the 1,200-seat Avalon Theater that night — at $60 a ticket.

“Ours will be significantly less than that,” Pike said.

Centennial organizers expect the tickets to cost somewhere in the $20 range, Pike said, but official details for the show are not finalized and plans could change.

Pike is working with about a $50,000 budget to put on a large-scale concert, he said. He plans to meet with other city officials today and discuss budget specifics.

“It is a lot of money, but it costs a lot of money to put on these shows,” he said. “There are little things behind the scenes no one knows about.”

Three Dog Night will receive $33,000 for the show. Stage, light and sound may be another $10,000 to $12,000 and spare instruments, known as backline, might be about $3,000.

Then there’s the cost of staffing and security, the recreation director added.

Organizers have not decided on an opening band, and may look local or out of the area for that, Pike said.

“The budget isn’t nailed down yet,” he said.

Pike floated a survey around town last fall, and other bands community members expressed interest in — such as .38 Special and The Charlie Daniels Band — were unavailable for the dates the city wanted.

Pike doesn’t expect the show to isolate an older crowd and alienate the youth, he said.

“They have some timeless tunes, like ‘Joy to the World’ and some of those others, and once we start marketing them on the radio, even the young people will recognize their music,” Pike said. “That’s one of the things that drew me to them.”