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The "We Need A New Outdoor Venue" Thread


grilled_cheese

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So, we started talking about outdoor venues in the Sounds thread and I'd like to carry the conversation over here.  Ever since they tore down Starwood we've missed out on a lot of the big summer tours due to the lack of an outdoor venue in the 10-20k seating range.  Starwood currently sits undeveloped and while it had many faults it served its purpose.  Right now I'll just list out the available music venues and their concert capacities and go from there.

 

LP Field - 69k+

Bridgestone - 17k+

Vandy Stadium - 40k+

Memorial Gym - 15k

Municipal - 10k

Both Riverfront Parks - Can't find #s

The Woods - 4500

Ryman - 2300

 

The proposed new Riverfront venue will only hold 6500?  Only adding 2k more than The Woods, this really isn't enough to bring in new bands to our area during the summer.  Maybe the old Sounds stadium could be converted?  It's in an awful location however so that may not be the best choice.  Working out a schedule at the new Sounds stadium would be tough and wouldn't work very well.   The new Riverfront amphitheater should've been somewhere in the 10-15k range.

 

LP Field is really hard to have non-festival type concerts due to the difficulty in drawing a crowd that large with a single act.  It can be done but it's not feasible.  Bridgestone works in the winter but it's so much more enjoyable during the summer to go to outdoor shows.  And some shows just lose their magic indoors.

 

I was at the DMB show in '09 and that was a great show and the place was packed but that was due to the last DMB show in Nashville was 2006.  The lack of recent shows and all of colleges still in session led to the good turnout.  It would be difficult to get 40k into that stadium regularly for a concert.

 

I'm still mad at those jerks who tore down Starwood, they even had the gall a few years ago to try and rebuild it but at a reduced size.  No thanks.

 

 

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Yes...a 10k-20k outdoor amphitheater would have been ideal.  That land would have been perfect for that.

 

Can you imagine seeing photos of 20k going nuts over Imagine Dragons with the Nashville skyline right up in your face? (no...not a huge ID fan...just a name I'm throwing out  :) )

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The proposed new Riverfront venue will only hold 6500?  Only adding 2k more than The Woods, this really isn't enough to bring in new bands to our area during the summer.  Maybe the old Sounds stadium could be converted?  It's in an awful location however so that may not be the best choice.  Working out a schedule at the new Sounds stadium would be tough and wouldn't work very well.   The new Riverfront amphitheater should've been somewhere in the 10-15k range.

 

 

The original announcement for the riverfront amphitheater gave the 6500 number.  

 

http://nashvillepost.com/news/2013/8/27/dean_unveils_riverfront_amphitheater_parks_plan

 

I haven't seen any further updates or renderings.    Was really hoping for a do-over on the pointy tilted amphitheater design.      

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There is no logic for placing a 10-15k amphitheater 4 blocks from 17k Bridgestone Arena. 6500 or less for symphony, local concerts, etc. is already huge. And there is also no logic for this based on tax revenues generated at Bridgestone Arena. If you think a 15k amphitheater is profitable and good for the city, then feel free to rebuilt Starwood - and good luck

 

If it ain't broke, don't fix it

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I believe 10k is the perfect size.  You don't have to use every bit of the space for every event...but it should most definitely be able to expand to fit in what I would call the "big act that's not huge yet"...and there are a lot of those type bands out there.

 

There's a big difference between an indoor arena that seats 17k...and an amphitheater that will fit 10k (and I'm not talking 10,000 seats...I'm talking probably 2000 seats and the rest grass...or even all grass and not seats.  Or do like the Summerfest stages in Milwaukee and have long benches where people can either sit or stand.).  It would really be a great addition to downtown.  6500 is too small.

 

(and I say this after touring with rock and country bands and I've seen what's out there and feel like an amphitheater like I'm describing is what we're missing)

 

Oh...and BTW...it wouldn't take much to accomplish what I'm talking about.  Just move the bandstand north a little and leave more room in the "bowl" for standing room only.

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I thought we are already getting a lot of the better shows and acts that tour the country, both small and large. Bridgestone is consistently in the top 5 arenas in the nation and between all of the summer music festivals, block parties, Fontanel acts, Ryman, The Opry, Vanderbilt Rites of Spring, Municipal Auditorium, the Symphony, and Bonnaroo (which is a bit down the road)....what type of shows/acts are we missing that would fill a 10k amphitheatre?

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If there's merit to the wisdom of creating an amphitheater with greater capacity, and it could potentially be an inexpensive fix by simply tweaking the design/layout...hopefully someone contacts the powers that be, and makes these suggestions, while changes can still be made...

 

I agree with you guys.    This was my issue when the design first came out.    Why not take advantage of the entire space you had to work with and create a venue that can be used for larger events?     I'd much prefer a stage at the north end and LARGE lawn with a long, gradual slope up toward KVB.    The stage and lawn could be used for a variety of events - concerts, festivals, craft fairs, carnivals, LOTG, and dogs and frisbees the rest of the time.  The bowl limits what you can do on that space and the size of acts that will play it.     

 

But, we can beotch all we want, the infrastructure is already going in.   We're getting 6500. 

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While I loved Starwood (in terms of the type and size of the venue, not the location), I'm not sure that we're really "missing" a large outdoor venue. A capacity of 10,000 would be nice, for both the Symphony 4th of July event, and even CMA Fest...but outside of that, I don't think it would really fill a gap. As it has been pointed out, Bridgestone is a busy venue (indoors) and can take care of concerts from the 10-20,000 range. Vanderbilt can take care of the 30-50,000 range, and LP can take the 50-80,000 range. The Sounds new park should fill anything in the Bridgestone capacity range, and the Courthouse Square can take the 5-15,000 range as well. I think the only "gap" we are dealing with is the 20-30,000 range...and I don't think that's a significant issue.

 

I wouldn't have a problem if they modified the ampitheater project to accommodate 10,000+, but I also don't think it's a dire need. It would be nice to have all of our big venues in close proximity, though.

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My concern is not so much for what we're missing out on...but that 6500 leaves out quite a few of the big acts that are in that "big" status...but not big enough to sell out Bridgestone.  There are a lot of rock bands that are perfect for 10k stages.  If they came to town, they would probably be an act that would fit Municipal...but not Bridgestone.  They would deem 6500 as too small.  It would just be great to have that other downtown option if you're already building it.

 

But like someone said above...we're getting 6500...and hey...that's way better than nothing at all.  Maybe that number is actually for "sitting" customers, anyway.  With standing room only, you could double that number.

 

I guess what caught my eye was someone a couple of days ago talking about it being perfect for the symphony...and I was just personally hoping it would be large enough for something more than just the symphony.  That's where my remarks are coming from.  

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If the new amphitheater has a two or three night run or multiple bands over a couple days wouldn't everyone benefit from a choice of day and a closer view of the show by it being more intimate. A more formal symphony performance with tables and chairs like they have been doing in Chastain Park in Atlanta since the early 80's, think real china and candelabra's.

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Totally disagree, it's a mistake to make the amphitheater that size.

 

You can't count on Vandy stadium as a regular addition to our venue list.  Those Vandy shows are once every few years for many reasons, I'm sure.

 

Hopefully we'll get clarification on the exact venue capacity, maybe it will be different?

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Hopefully we'll get clarification on the exact venue capacity, maybe it will be different?

Drive down 1st by the construction site and see for yourself. It looks like the site is being shaped to the rendering. Read what you want to into that 6500 number. Is that symphony goers sitting on picnic blankets on the grassy slope? Is that Skrillexians packed in and overflowing onto KVB? Obviously there's some play in that number. Like you, wish it were a larger starting number.

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I just hope it's not mostly going to cater to the symphony crowd...because that leaves out a huge percentage of the population.  That's part of the reason that I hope the 6500 is not a "hard" number.  

 

That's too vital of a location to turn it into some "special-events" amphitheater.  This can actually be something way bigger than that...and be used every week from March to November.

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I just hope it's not mostly going to cater to the symphony crowd...because that leaves out a huge percentage of the population.  That's part of the reason that I hope the 6500 is not a "hard" number.  

 

That's too vital of a location to turn it into some "special-events" amphitheater.  This can actually be something way bigger than that...and be used every week from March to November.

 

 

Be patient... because I don't think it will be exclusively for the symphony crowd.  In fact, lots of symphonies around the country have a "Pops" series that they do outdoors.  But in addition to that... I expect Nashville will be able to get concerts like you see at Chastain.  I remember many great concerts under the start there... and at many of them, we had a table with food and drinks.   Also, the "seating" may be at 6500, but then there will be ground space for people to spread out a blanket and watch from there.  Total capacity will be anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 over the actual seats.  I really hope that's the plan for the Riverfront Amphitheater. 

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From the August 27, 2014 Nashville Business Journal:

 

 

 

The west bank park will include an outdoor amphitheater that could accommodate 6,500 people (the amphitheater would include about 2,500 seats, with grass seating for the remainder). 

 

Sounds like there will be 2,500 permanent seats with 4,000 spaces for sitting on the grass. Thus 6,500 max.

 

As for the design of the stage, maybe they could sell naming rights to Viagra.

 

thermalsiterendering*600.jpg

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From the August 27, 2014 Nashville Business Journal:

 

 

Sounds like there will be 2,500 permanent seats with 4,000 spaces for sitting on the grass. Thus 6,500 max.

 

As for the design of the stage, maybe they could sell naming rights to Viagra.

 

thermalsiterendering*600.jpg

I can see 10k packing into that venue. Forget the blankets, but a standing crowd could pack the place if Metro will allow it.

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