Between Thursday and Sunday, over 130,000 people proved you can have a good time in Atlantic City without dropping quarters into a slot machine.

For the past four days, Atlantic City has been the center of the country music universe. On Thursday, country music superstar Blake Shelton performed a free concert on the beach in Atlantic City in front of a crowd estimated around 75,000. Sunday, Lady Antebellum performed on the same stage in front of around 60,000 people.

With tens of thousands of people in the city, very few problems were reported, both in terms of people behaving themselves and with open festival-type seating.

Atlantic City tourism officials hope that events like big concerts will be a part of the future of the city as it shifts from one that's centered around gaming to more about nightlife and entertainment.

The Atlantic City Alliance, the group behind both concerts, says all of the photos and video footage will be used to change the perception that the city is dying with recent negative coverage from proposed casino closings.

 

 

More From WPG Talk Radio 95.5 FM