Over the past decade, the Columbia Speedway’s old 9-acre grass infield has been converted to a performance space. Continue Reading Review: Billy Strings Shines at Columbia Speedway Entertainment Center
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Red Hat Amphitheater in downtown Raleigh, N.C. (Courtesy Red Hat Amphitheater) When the big acts came calling, the Carolinas and Georgia were ready Infinite Energy Center Duluth, Ga. Dan Markham, executive director of sales, booking and event management How did you do last year? Last year was great, with 2018 overtaking 2017 as the best year in the history of the 18-year-old arena. It was a combination of juxtaposing some shows to accommodate a heavier schedule last year. We had quite a few shows do multiple days. One of the big pluses here is we have an easy building to load in and out of. We also get a lot of rehearsals. We also did some huge shows that we were fortunate to get, what I’d call bucket list shows. Big shows Paul McCartney, U2, Justin Timberlake and Childish Gambino were big ones. We’ve added more hip-hop with Kendrick Lamar… Continue Reading Carolinas and Georgia: Banner Year
Continue Reading Carolinas and Georgia: Banner Year
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Columbia, S.C.’s 1,200-capacity The Senate is one of the small rooms that hosted J. Cole’s “underplay” tour in 2017. (Courtesy The Senate) The ‘Springsteen on Broadway’ trend continues as Madonna’s coming tour heads for the opera house Jaws dropped when Madonna announced that her new tour would start in September at the 2,100-seat Howard Gilman Opera House at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and move into similarly small rooms for the remainder of the 48-show tour. Madonna, who practically invented the crowd-pleasing, production-heavy tours we see today, has been selling out arenas and stadiums since the 1980s and holds the record for the best-selling tour by a female artist in live event history after she grossed $411 million from 84 shows with her 2008-09 Sweet & Sticky Tour, according to Pollstar. Madonna said she’s looking forward to performing in more intimate settings. She may have been inspired by the Las Vegas… Continue Reading Intimacy Issues: How Small Buildings Take on Big Shows
Continue Reading Intimacy Issues: How Small Buildings Take on Big Shows
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Assistant General Manager, Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, S.C. When Joe Dolan was in high school in Chester County, Pa., he dreamed of becoming the general manager of an NHL team, preferably the nearby Philadelphia Flyers. His brother played youth hockey with the son of Peter Luukko, a longtime executive with the Flyers and Comcast Spectacor, and Dolan had the opportunity to ask Luukko for career advice. Luukko, now executive chairman of the Florida Panthers, advised him to start on the venues side of the business, because he “would get to work with a lot of different people and learn about a lot of different things,” Dolan said. (Luukko also now holds a position with Oak View Group, owner of VenuesNow.) Between his love of sports and his love of live music, Dolan didn’t need much more encouragement than that. Years later, he is not yet calling the shots for the… Continue Reading Generation Next: Joe Dolan
Continue Reading Generation Next: Joe Dolan
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Greenville, S.C., arena adds sensory suite after success of skating event Arena guests take a selfie in the sensory suite that opened March 30 at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C. (Courtesy Bon Secours Wellness Arena) In an effort to include guests with autism and sensory needs at events, Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C., unveiled its sensory suite recently at a Kelly Clarkson concert. Arena officials felt they weren’t catering to a segment of fans who up to now have chosen not to attend events at their venue because of sensory issues. The loud sounds and flashing lights associated with concerts and sporting events trigger anxiety for those fans. “They were staying home. Siblings, parents and individuals with special needs weren’t able to enjoy live entertainment,” said General Manager Beth Paul, who has worked for the 15,900 capacity arena since 2007. The venue is owned by a… Continue Reading ‘A Real Opportunity to Be a Part’
Continue Reading ‘A Real Opportunity to Be a Part’
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