GREEN SCENE: Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater in Tuscaloosa shown during an April show by country artist Riley Green. (Courtesy Venue)
THREE-YEAR BOOKING AGREEMENT FOLLOWS MERCEDES-BENZ NAMING RIGHTS DEAL
Tuscaloosa’s Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater is ready for its next phase, as the city-owned, 8,000-capacity venue enters its first concert season since signing a long-term naming rights deal and new booking agreement.
“We’re looking to do up to 20 events per year,” said Kay Day, general manager of Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater and director of arts and entertainment for the city of Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
After signing in November a 10-year naming rights deal with the auto manufacturer, whose Mercedes-Benz U.S. International headquarters is located in Alabama, the amphitheater is looking to ramp up its entertainment offerings. The city recently approved a three-year booking agreement with Danny Wimmer Presents Talent Services to book entertainment at the venue, which opened in 2011.
“We want to get some ‘wow’ acts and people we’ve not had here before, which we’re excited about.” added Day, who said executives from DWP visited the venue multiple times and showed genuine excitement about its potential. “They’re ready to take it to a whole other level, and we needed to take it to the next level.” Previously handling talent buying was Red Mountain Entertainment, an active concert promoter in the Southeast U.S. that was acquired by Live Nation in 2018. Ticketmaster handles ticketing at the amphitheater.
Los Angeles-based Danny Wimmer Presents is known for developing and producing rock-focused U.S. music festivals, including Welcome to Rockville, which hosted 200,000 fans and 150 bands over four days May 9-12 at the Daytona International Speedway, but has expanded its offerings in recent years to include country music festivals and lifestyle events like the tattoo-infused Inkarceration festival in Mansfield, Ohio, and the four-day Bourbon and Beyond in Louisville, Kentucky. The company’s talent services division books entertainment at a host of casino venues including Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut, and Thunder Valley Casino Resort near Sacramento, California, and promotes the occasional arena show for artists and cities it has a longstanding relationship with, including metal band Tool.
Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater represents the first city-owned amphitheater for the company, according to DWP Talent Services President Billy Brill, who says he sees a lot of potential for big-name talent, with some major artists already confirmed.
Last year’s concert calendar included Hank Williams Jr., Jason Aldean, 3 Doors Down, 50 Cent and Foreigner, among others, while this year has hosted artists including Riley Green, KC and the Sunshine Band and Kool & The Gang. Regular community events include a free Fourth of July celebration featuring the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra.
BOOKING THUNDER: Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater’s Matt Jones (Left) and Kay Day (center) shown during a recent meeting with Danny Wimmer Talent Services’ Joe Moallempour and Billy Brill (right) at The Venue in Thunder Valley Casino Resort near Sacramento.
Day says the amphitheater has faced stiff competition from other active outdoor venues in the region, including the Oak Mountain Amphitheater in nearby Pelham, Wharf Amphitheater in Rogers and the “shiny new penny” of the Orion Amphitheater in Huntsville. There’s also a new amphitheater under development at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex.
“We care about this facility and, when tours come, we provide that Southern hospitality and want to create an unforgettable experience for anyone who comes to Tuscaloosa,” said Day, crediting a close-knit event staff and top-notch operations manager in Matt Jones. More shows and higher-profile bookings will go a long way toward creating those experiences, she said.
“We’re just so excited to have somebody that’s excited, and we think they’re going to take it to the next level,” Day said.
Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater is part of a larger entertainment district under development that includes the Saban Center, a multimillion-dollar interactive children’s museum, STEM learning hub and children’s theater to be built on the former site of the Tuscaloosa News. The complex is named after the family of famed University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban, which has donated millions to the project.
Along with private donations, the Saban Center is funded by a mix of private and public money, including a 1% sales tax and $25 million grant from the state of Alabama. It’s scheduled to open in 2027, with a $20 million-plus Future Riverwalk Expansion to follow.
“The entire entertainment district area is such a vision,” said Day, who began working at the venue seven years ago. “I was talking to somebody yesterday who hasn’t been in Tuscaloosa in about 15 years and they couldn’t believe the growth. It’s a very exciting time.”
