So it has been widely reported now that Allentown’s Crocodile Rock Cafe has lost their liquor license a few weeks back. At the time this was just a minor setback for them. That was until recently when SLP Concerts (one of the top concert promoters in the Northeast) pulled all of their previously scheduled shows out of the venue and has moved them all to others nearby.

Crocodile Rock Cafe, which ranked amongst the top 100 venues in the nation for a number of years, lost its liquor license in January after a lengthy dispute with the state Liquor Control Board over a shooting outside the club in 2009  where a 23-year-old man and 19-year-old woman were wounded when someone fired into a crowd leaving a rap concert at the club in the 500 block of Hamilton Street.

Spokeswoman Stacy Kriedeman said the board’s Bureau of Licensing objected to a license renewal in 2010 on the grounds that the club is a nuisance bar. Crocodile Rock appealed and was permitted to continue serving alcohol until Lehigh County President Judge Carol K. McGinley upheld the denial in January.

This is a huge blow to the venue as a huge chunk of it’s income comes from alcohol sales.

SLP spokesman Adam Vodofsky is not confident the club will get the license back quickly enough.

“We waited it out as long as we could and we worked to make it successful,” he said.

“It’s not a knee-jerk reaction. After month and a half, we’re just not confident they’ll get [the license] back in time for the show that were announced or the bookings we’re working on now.

“Basically, not having a liquor license at a venue is a huge, huge loss of revenue,” Vodofsky said. “That’s just the way shows are set up. The real money is on bar revenue. It can take a loser to a winner and a winning show to a really awesome show.”

“Revenue from alcohol is in the thousands of dollars per show, Vodofsky said. Ticket sales generally cover the cost of paying the act and production costs with a slim profit – perhaps $1,000 a show, which is not enough to make the effort worthwhile, Vodofsky said.

With the loss of SLP Concerts also comes the loss of Ticketmaster as a ticketing outlet for the Allentown venue. Tickets purchased via Ticketmaster will still be honored for the rescheduled shows. But anyone who purchased tickets directly through Crocodile Rock will need to seek a refund from them directly.

SLP concerts that have been moved:

• In Flames, with Demon Hunter, All Shall Perish and Battlecross on March 6, to Maingate Nightclub, 448 N. 17th St., Allentown. Tickets are $20 in advance and $23 at the door.
• Adrenalin Mob on March 15 to Goodfellas, 1105 S. Centre St., Pottsville. Tickets are $12.50 advance, $15 at the door.
• Every Time I Die on March 16 to Reverb, 1402 N. 9th St., Reading. Tickets are $17 advance, $20 at the door.
• As I lay Dying and The Devil Wears Prada on March 19, to Maingate. Tickets are $22 advance, $25 at the door.
• AWOLNATION, March 22 to Sherman Theater, 524 Main St., Stroudsburg. Tickets are $22 in advance.
• R5, April 7 to Maingate. Tickets are $18 in advance and $20 at the door.
• The Rev. Horton Heat, April 10 to Musikfest Café at ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem. Tickets are $15 advance, $17 at the door.
• Opeth on April 27 to Sherman Theater. Tickets are $23 advance, $25 at the door.
• Rebelution on May 4 to a site to be determined. Tickets are $17.50 advance, $20 at the door.

This post was written by:

Henry Chung – When Henry’s not busy updating this page and speaking in third person,he’s busy shooting and editing pictures from concerts and designing logos for bands.