Arkansas Music Pavilion

[cocothief]

Good. George's has one of the best (consistent) music scenes in NWA. They'll get some relatively recognizable names in there occasionally too, but they get a lot of artists on their upstart too, and tend to get enough variety in types of music to keep people happy.

This should be great.

I think of some relatively popular regional acts like Jason Boland and the Stragglers that always sell out at George's.

Someone like that would be a big hit at the AMP, even if its not national in nature.

I'd go to see them outside somewhere.

IMO this venue needs to be moved to the fairgrounds or somewhere else with grass.

[Mith242]

This should be great.

I think of some relatively popular regional acts like Jason Boland and the Stragglers that always sell out at George's.

Someone like that would be a big hit at the AMP, even if its not national in nature.

I'd go to see them outside somewhere.

IMO this venue needs to be moved to the fairgrounds or somewhere else with grass.

Yeah, the Mall parking lot isn't the best location. They've obviously been looking for other locations in the past with little luck so far. I suppose there's still a chance for it to move at some future date. Of course that also means it could leave Fayetteville as well.

[AshJs3]

Cross Canadian Ragweed has a date for the AMP on their website. July 10th. I just hope the owners of the AMP aren't thinking of charging the $50-$60 they have been in the past. Ragweed is playing at George's on March 22. The shows there usually run about $20. They are a great band, but I'm not sure how they will fit in at the AMP.

[Mith242]

As the AMP season slowly starts winding down to October, it sounds like the Walton Arts Center may purchase the AMP before next season. To be honest I've been a little surprised the WAC hadn't really considered this or running something along these lines before now. The WAC said if they do approve the purchase they could look to put $1 Mil into improvements. Things like better seating and restrooms. I haven't heard if they would consider moving it.

[FabianR]

they should move the amp to Lake Atlanta in downtown rogers. next year they are going to rebuild the park and the plans include a large ampitheatre next to the lake. this would be a better location than pleasant crossing so it can attract more people to downtown rogers

[thewizard16]

they should move the amp to Lake Atlanta in downtown rogers. next year they are going to rebuild the park and the plans include a large ampitheatre next to the lake. this would be a better location than pleasant crossing so it can attract more people to downtown rogers

The AMP is at the NWA mall, not Pleasant Crossing. It needs relocated to somewhere more permanent, in my opinion, but Rogers would be a big shift.

[Mith242]

I can just hear the uproar already if the WAC buys the AMP and then moves it to Benton County. Especially if the future WAC facility ends up in Benton County as expected. You'd have a lot of disgruntled Fayetteville people. I guess we're going to have to figure out a way to share the amenities around NWA.

[comreguy]

I can just hear the uproar already if the WAC buys the AMP and then moves it to Benton County. Especially if the future WAC facility ends up in Benton County as expected. You'd have a lot of disgruntled Fayetteville people. I guess we're going to have to figure out a way to share the amenities around NWA.

Or, find someone with money that is willing to develop and fund it in Fayetteville.

[thewizard16]

I can just hear the uproar already if the WAC buys the AMP and then moves it to Benton County. Especially if the future WAC facility ends up in Benton County as expected. You'd have a lot of disgruntled Fayetteville people. I guess we're going to have to figure out a way to share the amenities around NWA.

I thought Bentonville having a premier national-level art museum and Fayetteville having the WAC was a good sharing attempt , but we'll see how that goes.

[zman9810]

I would guess that is why the WAC is buying the AMP- to eliminate any potential competition for ticket sales and funding. I can't see the WAC wanting a tent in a mall parking lot to represent their brand in the long run- it will be moved to the Crystal Bridges campus in a natural ampitheater setting. Fayetteville will have to start from stratch if it wants to have non-WAC controlled venues.

[Mith242]

Bringing back this old topic. Although some info has been posted over in the WAC topic as well. The AMP renovation isn't going according to plan. In fact it doesn't look like any dirt has even been broken. The problem seems to be the fact that the NWA Mall has changed ownership. All the plans that were talked about had been with the previous owners. Nothing was ever officially signed so now they're having to renegotiate with the new owners. Hopefully the new mall owners will be open to the idea. Or else we'll probably start hearing about the possibility of the AMP leaving Fayetteville again.

[aerotive]

Saw that too...you'd think they would've had everything definitively in place before making an announcement.

[zman9810]

Bringing back this old topic. Although some info has been posted over in the WAC topic as well. The AMP renovation isn't going according to plan. In fact it doesn't look like any dirt has even been broken. The problem seems to be the fact that the NWA Mall has changed ownership. All the plans that were talked about had been with the previous owners. Nothing was ever officially signed so now they're having to renegotiate with the new owners. Hopefully the new mall owners will be open to the idea. Or else we'll probably start hearing about the possibility of the AMP leaving Fayetteville again.

They may also feel the pressure is off since Osage Creek didn't open as planned. No competition means no need to improve the AMP.

[Mith242]

They may also feel the pressure is off since Osage Creek didn't open as planned. No competition means no need to improve the AMP.

The impression I've gotten is that it's not the WAC who is holding it up, more the new owners of the NWA Mall. Although maybe the WAC doesn't feel the need to give up any concessions to the new owners without Osage Creek not opening up as planned as well.

[zman9810]

It is moving to the fairgrounds for this season. Something me tells the next move will be to Benton County.

[Mith242]

It is moving to the fairgrounds for this season. Something me tells the next move will be to Benton County.

The new owners of the NWA Mall certainly don't seem to be helping matters. From what I can tell they don't have much interest in having the AMP near the mall. I'm not sure if it will be moving to Benton County just yet. But the NWA Mall owners certainly seem to be shoving them more towards that direction. Had this deal gone through already I don't think the AMP would have spent all the money then pull up and move to Benton County. I certainly won't be happy with the NWA Mall owners if all of this does end up pushing the AMP to Benton County. I do try to shop in Fayetteville. But I'll be tempted to forget the NWA Mall and move that type of shopping towards Pinnacle from what I'm seeing of the new owners so far.

[zman9810]

The new owners of the NWA Mall certainly don't seem to be helping matters. From what I can tell they don't have much interest in having the AMP near the mall. I'm not sure if it will be moving to Benton County just yet. But the NWA Mall owners certainly seem to be shoving them more towards that direction. Had this deal gone through already I don't think the AMP would have spent all the money then pull up and move to Benton County. I certainly won't be happy with the NWA Mall owners if all of this does end up pushing the AMP to Benton County. I do try to shop in Fayetteville. But I'll be tempted to forget the NWA Mall and move that type of shopping towards Pinnacle from what I'm seeing of the new owners so far.

Sounds like part of the slow movement of negotiations has been because the other tenants in the mall get a say so, although I can't imagine why any would be opposed to a venue that brings people to the mall. It seems to me even if the mall site doesn't work out there are plenty of other areas in Fayetteville that would welcome the AMP. I'm not sold on the fairgrounds as a great location but at least it will be in town for the next year.

[Mith242]

Sounds like part of the slow movement of negotiations has been because the other tenants in the mall get a say so, although I can't imagine why any would be opposed to a venue that brings people to the mall. It seems to me even if the mall site doesn't work out there are plenty of other areas in Fayetteville that would welcome the AMP. I'm not sold on the fairgrounds as a great location but at least it will be in town for the next year.

Yeah I don't get why the Mall wouldn't be interested in the AMP being right next door either. It's bringing in people right to their doorstep. I'm also with you on the fairground location. Maybe it will work out well there, but I'm not sure personally. But as you said, at least it's still in the city at least.

[KJW]

Well, just got this on my Facebook page.  News for about 1/2 of those current near 800,000 people in NWA/FSM. 

 

Breaking: AMP moving to Rogers.

[TRB]

I just don't like the way WAC is ran, the board is nothing but a rubber stamp and is driving a needless wedge between the north and the south. The lack. of transparency is disturbing. Wonder how those large houses that will border this will react. What the area really needs is a multipurpose arena with seating capacity between 8 and 10 thousand and ideally be adjacent to the Arvest Ballpark to share parking. It will be hard to compete with the BOC in Tulsa for large arena shows but not for mid majorconcert acts and events like Ringling and Disney on Ice.

[KJW]

TRB, how cool would it be to see the Ringling Brothers circus train on the A & M rails through Rogers and downtown Fayetteville at Dickson Street?       

 

Looking at this schedule from Ringling Brothers, they're stopping at a lot of places that are smaller or at least of equal size to Wichita, Shreveport, Jackson MS, Des Moines and Springfield (all of which NWA/FSM is bigger than).

[TRB]

TRB, how cool would it be to see the Ringling Brothers circus train on the A & M rails through Rogers and downtown Fayetteville at Dickson Street?       

 

http://www.ringling.com/TourSchedule.aspx?action=findshow&zip=Enter zip code

">Looking at this schedule from Ringling Brothers, they're stopping at a lot of places that are smaller or at least of equal size to Wichita, Shreveport, Jackson MS, Des Moines and Springfield (all of which NWA/FSM is bigger than).

Some years back they appeared at Ft. Smith's Convention center. Bud Walton, even when updated to handle events better, is too large a venue for most anything. Barnhill is a lousy venue. A facility independent from the Uof A is needed. The Landers Center in SouthHaven MS. Comes to mind.

[Mith242]

Yeah I think we all knew it was coming but now it's official.  I can't help but wonder what would have happened if the current owners of the NWA Mall had signed that agreement with the AMP a few years ago.  The AMP had worked out an agreement with the previous owners.  But then those owners ended up selling the mall before anything was ever signed.  The mall location wouldn't have fulfilled some of the requirements they were currently looking for.  But if a permanent location had already been settled maybe they wouldn't have been looking for another location.  

I don't want this to sound like 'sour grapes' but I also can't say I'm enthused by how this process came about.  It seems like these types of decisions have already been made well in advance and Fayetteville ends up spending a lot of effort setting up other potential locations (just like the future WAC location).  When it's become rather obvious that any other Fayetteville locations wasn't going to happen because it was already decided that they wanted another location further north in Benton County.  

[zman9810]

I know I've gotten cynical in my old age and a regional approach is a good thing in the end but this still seems like an attempt to bolster the immediate Home Office area as an attractive place to live. This is not unreasonable- in order to attract the top talent to run the business you need to make their living environment as nice as possible. Adding amenities is one way to make that environment attractive and when you are competing with large metros with much more to offer in the ways of entertainment and culture this move is a another step in that direction.

 

I certainly think this came at a very bad time but the WAC and it's supporters are notoriously bad at public relations when it comes to these issues. This will make passing the bond issue for the Fayetteville expansion harder even though passing it is still very much in Fayetteville's best interests.

[Mith242]

I know I've gotten cynical in my old age and a regional approach is a good thing in the end but this still seems like an attempt to bolster the immediate Home Office area as an attractive place to live. This is not unreasonable- in order to attract the top talent to run the business you need to make their living environment as nice as possible. Adding amenities is one way to make that environment attractive and when you are competing with large metros with much more to offer in the ways of entertainment and culture this move is a another step in that direction.

 

I certainly think this came at a very bad time but the WAC and it's supporters are notoriously bad at public relations when it comes to these issues. This will make passing the bond issue for the Fayetteville expansion harder even though passing it is still very much in Fayetteville's best interests.

I admit, looking at this in an unbiased view, the Rogers location is probably better as a whole to the metro.  It's more centrally located for one.  I also think the Fayetteville Southpass location is a bit untested.  There's potential at that site but nothing has happened there yet.  But it's certainly frustrating from a Fayetteville standpoint.  Losing out yet again.  But I think what's worse is that Fayetteville really had almost no chance at securing a location.  But Fayetteville officials can't really just do nothing.  Yet in this case and with the future WAC location.  I think the WAC already knew they were going to be putting these future locations in Benton County.  So it feels like Fayetteville is just wasting time and money trying to promote itself when it has no chance because the WAC has already made up it's mind.  

As you've said it's still in Fayetteville's best interest on the future bond issue and to work with the WAC.  But the WAC's methods have certainly left a bad taste in the mouth's of Fayetteville's citizens.  It's hard to see a good relationship between the WAC and Fayetteville at this point.  I bet there's only a small amount of people in Fayetteville that have a good opinion of the WAC.  it might not be such a big deal if the rest of the Fayetteville citizenry had an apathetic view of the WAC.  But I'd say there's a sizable portion that's irate at the WAC.  Which is going to make some sort of working relationship even harder to develop.