B.B. King, Cheap Trick, Chazz Palminteri among 2014 Lynn Auditorium headliners

LYNN – The Lynn Veterans Memorial Auditorium found its groove in 2013, and 2014 is heating up with ticket sales for the Gipsy Kings, B.B. King and the kings of Dominican Republic comedy, Raymond y Miguel.”We’re really hitting our stride,” said Community Development Director James Marsh. “We’ve been growing at a good steady pace.”Last fall brought the return of the popular Tedeschi Trucks Band in November and a sold-out Celtic Woman Christmas show in December. January kicks off with the ever-popular Led Zeppelin cover band, Get the Led Out, followed by the Gipsy Kings on Jan. 24.”We’re starting off well in February,” Marsh said. “February is full and in March we have Brit Floyd.”The Fab Four, a Beatles cover band, takes the stage Feb. 6, followed by Cheap Trick 10 days later. In between, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes will share the venue with John Cafferty And The Beaver Brown Band on Feb. 8.Raymond y Miguel brings laughs on Feb. 22, and Chazz Palminteri brings drama with his one-man performance of “A Bronx Tale” on February 28.Blues legend BB King is scheduled to play Lynn Auditorium April 13.Marsh said he also negotiating the return of George Thorogood, Ian Anderson and Pat Benatar, and he’d like to bring in Huey Lewis and revisit the 90s with the The Goo Goo Dolls and Vertical Horizon.”We’re also looking at doing some kids’ shows,” he added. “We’re looking Sesame Street Live and Scooby Doo.”What Marsh is really hoping to do, however, is to model downtown Lynn after Somerville or even Cambridge, by attracting alternative rock or college bands to draw in the hipster crowd. The hope is that once here, the younger crowd might be attracted enough to Lynn to stay.Classic rock draws crowds from all over New England, and even one woman from Japan. Marsh said he received a request for tickets to Cheap Trick from a Japanese woman who, as it happens, will be in the area when Cheap Trick plays. But, by and large, the classic rock fan base is made up of older adults who are already settled.”I want to bring in a younger crowd not only to show them that we have something to offer but to show them Lynn,” he said. “If we can get younger people, college age even, they might take a chance on Lynn. If we can show them we have something offer they might call Lynn home.”Marsh said the mixture of music from the auditorium with the increases art offerings downtown added to the waterfront could equal a nice economic spin off of the growing downtown Cultural District.”If we can show a similar (Somerville) vibe is being created in Lynn, they might look at Lynn as some place to live,” he said.In the meantime, he said he plans to mix it up at the auditorium with music, comedy, theater and even movie nights in between shows.”We have a good variety,” he said. “We have 11 shows on sale right now, we’ve got improv, Spanish comedy, a play with ?A Bronx Tale’ and movies. We’re packed.”Visit lynnauditorium.com for ticket information on all upcoming shows.