Bodziak’s Phoenix Faltering?

But it’s not entirely clear if Phoenix is out of the picture. Shows with Quiet Riot, Molly Hatchet, Pat Travers, Blackfoot, Foghat and more were reportedly canceled in October, and investors told WTSP-TV the cancellations and “bad decisions” are costing them hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Bodziak, for his part, said he would repay his creditors and continue booking concerts.

“I tried to explain to [artists], I did everything I could to fight to keep the show,” Bodziak told the station, referring to another cancellation with Enuff Z’Nuff and Tracii Guns.

Molly Hatchet manager Steven Green told WSTP otherwise about the cancellation of a “Make America Rock” stop at Ybor City, Fla.

“All the groups that were on the show, we all feel terrible. We really tried to get that show to work,” Green said.

Calls to a Phoenix Productions telephone number went directly to hold before being dropped. And the company’s website returns a 404 error. But despite the complaints and online silence, Phoenix Productions may yet be attempting to rise. Queensryche posted to its Facebook page that despite rumors to the contrary, a Dec. 1 show booked by Phoenix at the Cuban Club in Ybor City was still on.

“December 1st is NOT, we repeat, NOT cancelled!! If you purchased a ticket via Ticketmaster, you’re all set,” reads to post on the band’s Facebook page. “If you are one of the people who experienced the Groupon snafu, you should have been granted a refund. We are going to re-launch the Groupon campaign so anyone who had purchased tickets via Groupon can repurchase them beginning Dec. 17” and listed a Phoenix Productions Groupon URL.

Bodziak has already suffered legal setback over his concert promotions endeavors. The former operator of Jannus Landing in St. Petersburg served more than a year in jail for defrauding taxpayers of some $250,000 in sales taxes in a case that ended in 2010. He remains on 20 years’ probation from that case. He returned to the business just more than a year ago, opening Ferg’s Sports Bar near Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, and promoting concerts in the area.

“I’ve never been a money motivated person,” he told Pollstar at the time. “It’s music I love,” he said. “Everyone has that one fist-pumping moment, that memory of their first concert. That’s why I do this. It’s not about money.

“At the end of the day, I just want to do shows. And I intend to go after them with a very aggressive style of talent buying. I’m looking forward to it.”