Downtown Raleigh Amphitheater Could Open by May

Today at the Raleigh City Council meeting, a few big votes happened including a full-on approval of the Live Nation promoted Downtown Amphitheater. The city agreed that the amphitheater can function across from the Raleigh Convention Center as long as the concerts end at 10:30 p.m. on weeknights and by 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. There will be exceptions during the summer where shows can last until 11pm on three weeknights that must be approved beforehand.

Construction should start soon with the venue open (possibly) by the middle of May 2010. This means names of booked bands could start showing up in this space in the coming months.

hackles1001/20 09:16 AM

Awesome!!!!!!!

JB01/20 09:31 AM

Super news. OK, so start booking acts that people want to see. And don’t let the DPAC continue to scoop Raleigh. How about the Avett Brothers to open the venue?

arthurb301/20 09:48 AM

This will be so much better then having these on Moores Square or on Fayettville Street although I am worried about the street traffic since MacDowell and Dawson.

Banks Talley01/20 10:13 AM

One critique of the seating though. Once again, it is class warfare at the venue. Wealthy ticket holders who want drinks, food and VIP treatment get to pay to be in the front and the poor unwashed masses get crammed into the tiny festival lawn at the back. I would like to see a much larger lawn seating area (as I think that would be truly in keeping with the “family friendly” atmosphere that the City Council is always talking about. The lawn seating is fun, it allows for blankets, etc. and the seating down front has been done in countless other venues. Can’t we strive for something new and original (instead of the same old thing)?

hackles1001/20 10:58 AM

I don’t think this is a venue for “wealthy ticket holders”. The food is going to be served from temporary trailers!

I wouldn’t even be surprised if most events are general admission. The seats from what I understand fold out, and are on a concrete slab. The way the topography of that lot work, they did a perfect job with the lawn, which will essentially be a hill to allow for decent views. The whole place is 1/10th the size of walnut creek, and 1/3 the size of koka booth. I think everyone will be able to enjoy concerts the way they have it set up….huddled masses and rich folk alike!

Guess01/20 11:17 AM

i would have loved to see them reverse the topography of this land allowing the city (and the glimmer wall) to be the backdrop.
regardless, it’s great to see this moving along so quickly!

Jeff01/20 01:15 PM

“Today at the Raleigh City Council meeting, a few big votes happened…”

Well what were the other ones?!

corey3rd01/20 04:56 PM

if Raleigh is so hot for music acts that charge $50 plus per ticket, explain to me how Live Nation’s evil twin brother Clear Channel destroyed WRDU and turned it into a conservative talkshow channel with Rush Radio? Will Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck be giving shows in downtown Raleigh next year to help keep Sen Burr in office?

Not to mention how that another FM music station has been turned into sportstalk.

And what will happen to Walnut Creek? Live Nation has allowed that place to become a Superfund disaster site. How many shows did Live Nation book last year for Raleigh? Was it 18? what’s their excuse for dropping the ball on us?

But now they’re going to be able to book so many shows in downtown Raleigh. I’m going to guess that any act they book in this parking lot with folding chairs would be better appreciated a few blocks over in air conditioning without bugs flying into your mouth and a chance of thunder showers dumping onto your head. there’s zero shelter here.

Thankfully the city isn’t stuck with the Live Nation bill for that hand me down tent. Whose landfill is getting that?

In the last decade Live Nation and Clear Channel have poisoned Raleigh by making us a hillbilly territory. if they want to improve Raleigh, they need to get out of here

revolu01/21 10:22 AM

more lawn seats would be nice.

bobby.is.rad01/21 10:45 AM

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this will attract some decent bands. Walking downtown instead of driving to cat’s cradle sounds pretty alright to me.

JrD01/21 11:44 PM

Yeah, 106.1 is officially awesome now! Hannity and Limbaugh are amazing and completely dead on on virtually every issue. I was pleasantly surprised they day I found them there.
But yeah, I would definitely not mind more lawn seating. To be honest, I dont really understand why there would be seating here at all if its all gonna be general admission. I dont know anyone who sits down at a show anyways. Plus, if they did nothing but lawn (like Koca Booth) it would cost far less or they could concentrate on making the stage and other parts more state of the art or architecturally significant. How long is this thing really gonna last anyways. Raleigh is pretty soon going to have venues growing out its ears and I dont see a lot of great bands booking the ones we have. Just because we build a bunch of venues doesnt mean a bunch of bands are gonna come. Raleigh is not the kind of place that a lot of bands want to do weekend shows. Bands want to be in places like Charlotte and Charleston for weekend shows. Or at least thats what Ive been told by a couple venue owners.
I do hope it all turns out really nice and does really well.

hackles1001/22 12:02 AM

^Thats chicken/egg logic. What venues do we have right now? Lincoln theater? Walnut Creek is falling apart. Cats Cradle?

A kick ass venue downtown can’t hurt. This could end up as a terrible venue, but at least its a start. Plenty of bands want to come play Raleigh, and the population continues to grow. 2 or 3 more indoor/outdoor medium sized venues can only help…and this is a great start!

JRD01/22 10:53 AM

Hackles10,

You could be right, I hope you are. Its just that with the new city plaza (made to double as a venue with the light towers) and the one they were talking about putting on the Dix property (hope that idea has died), it seems like there arent enough bands to fill these places to really justify their existence.
To answer your question about venues:
Walnut Creek
Memorial Auditorium
Meymandi Concert Hall
City Plaza
Lincoln Theatre
Koca Booth

hackles1001/22 10:59 AM

They just aren’t good venues. I am hoping that a good venue, with the shimmer wall and skyline in the background will help.

Walnut Creek - is totally falling apart
Memorial Auditorium - Other then musicals and manheim steamroller, not much happening here
Meymandi Concert Hall - Decent for indoor concerts, but still not a great venue
City Plaza - could they have a concert here…sure, but through no rational lense is this a “venue” as much as my back yard could be a “venue”
Lincoln Teatre - small and cramped, great for small acts…maybe the closest thing to a relevant music venue we have, which is sad when you look at the lineup
Koca Booth - can’t play loud, can’t play past 10:30…better suited lately for outdoor movies and food/wine events.

ErnstStarvoBlofield01/22 01:13 PM

JRD First of all, “Sean and Rush are dead on” I will let that comment go without comment and I am no liberal. But Bands want to do weekend shows in Charleston ????? You have got to be kidding? Why Charleston ? I have lived there and Raleigh and Raleigh/Triangle is much more positive music location and has more venues, disposable income. singles, jobs, etc.

Not to mention “I dont see a lot of great bands booking the ones we have.” Music Taste is up to the listener, not some dude named JrD. and his music tastes. I will take the ecletic Triangle tastes any day over Charlestons’. This is a 3000 seat place and there are tons of bands that fill that spot (whether they get the JrD approval seal or not)

Again…Charleston. You lost me on that one and I lived there.

corey3rd01/25 12:24 AM

So you’re completely letting Live Nation off the hook for allowing Walnut Creek to turn into slum property? Or maybe it’s Mayor Meeker that’s allowing it to be a El Camino on cinderblocks. But now this dynamic duo is going to save the day with yet another downtown miracle location.

Where is the city of Raleigh saying Live Nation needs to show a little concern for Walnut Creek turning into an abandoned lot. These are the kind of people who were trying to dump a twice used tent on us as a “gift.” The booking at the DPAC are more innovative than Live Nation’s promoted shows. They care about not just giving us Charlotte’s table scraps

Great if we get some fresh acts, but seeing how Live Nation is behind this - expect a bunch of Ribfest artists with replacement singers and original roadies. And they expect an average ticket to sell for $35 - not including ticketmaster’s service charges and facility charge.

The Raleigh venue list is missing the RBC Center and the football stadium. Those places are good enough for Taylor Swift, Eric Clapton (and half of the living Who) and U2.

corey3rd01/25 08:49 PM

are they going to close down the streets around this space during the shows to keep people from honking their horns and messing up the musicians?

aTB01/26 01:39 PM

I think you all are missing the point. This venue is for Alive after 5, and the summer concerts. Not for big named bands and events. There will be no more concerts in Moores Square or on Fayetteville Street as they will be moved to this small venue.

hackles1001/26 01:49 PM

@aTB, I think you are missing the point. This is a city partnership with Live Nation to bring between 25 and 30 music events to the downtown area. It is NOT just for Alive after 5 and small summer concerts. I don’t know what your definition of “big name” is, but nobody on here is wrong for hoping for some decent acts!

Anastasia Beaverhausen01/26 05:22 PM

Ra ra. More power to the little people!

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Jedidiah Tuesday, January 19, 2010