Author: Don Muret

Independent Agencies Rebook and Hope

Independent Agencies Rebook and Hope

Posted by | Apr 12, 2020 | , ,

Blues artist Kenny Neal, shown playing the Neighborhood Theatre in Charlotte, N.C., in November, is booked by Intrepid Artists International. (Don Muret / Staff) Potentially crowded fall will ‘create a lot of pressure’ on business Rick Booth stays busy planting azaleas in Charlotte, N.C. Buck Williams hangs at his 60-acre spread, a Tennessee wildlife preserve full of deer and wild turkey. In the Bay Area, Tom Chauncey has improved his guitar playing skills. For all three heads of independent booking agencies now working from home, it’s part of the “new normal” as they come to grips with a touring industry paralyzed by COVID-19 and the uncertainty over when their acts can start working again. Much of their time is spent rebooking artists into the second half of the year after a few months of cancellations, but new dates remain on shaky ground as they wonder whether a second wave of… Continue Reading Independent Agencies Rebook and Hope

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‘Marquee Project’ On Deck in Wichita

‘Marquee Project’ On Deck in Wichita

Posted by | Apr 8, 2020 | , ,

DOWNTOWN DESTINATION: The 6,000-seat Riverfront Stadium sits beside the Arkansas River in Wichita, Kan. (Courtesy DLR Group) $75M Riverfront Stadium is new home of Triple-A Wind Surge The ribbon cutting is on hold for Riverfront Stadium in Wichita, Kan., because of the COVID-19 crisis, but when it finally opens, the minor league ballpark will signal a rebirth for sports in general and the city’s downtown redevelopment. The $75 million project is the home of the Wichita Wind Surge, the Miami Marlins’ Triple-A affiliate. The team relocated from New Orleans after last season. DLR Group designed the ballpark, and J.E. Dunn and Eby Construction built it. Riverfront Stadium was close to completion by mid-March, the point at which sports started to shut down because of the novel coronavirus.  From start to finish, officials laid out an aggressive 14-month design-build schedule, said Lou Schwechheimer, the team’s managing general partner.  The stadium stayed… Continue Reading ‘Marquee Project’ On Deck in Wichita

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Geography, Not Sponsor, Has Naming Rights in Wichita

Geography, Not Sponsor, Has Naming Rights in Wichita

Posted by | Apr 8, 2020 | , , ,

WICHITA THIRD BASE LINEMAN: Club seating sits on the third base side of Riverfront Stadium in Wichita, Kan. (Courtesy DLR Group) ‘It’s part of a grander vision,’ Wind Surge owner says The new $75 million minor league ballpark in Wichita will open without a naming-rights partner. Given the COVID-19 crisis, it’s a tough call as to exactly when its doors will open after things get back to normal across the country. For now, Riverfront Stadium is the official name for the home of the Wichita Wind Surge, the Miami Marlins’ Triple-A affiliate. Wichita city officials say the current name remains a “placeholder” until a naming-rights deal is signed, according to a story on kansas.com. Lou Schwechheimer, the team’s managing general partner, offered a different take of the situation. “We decided to make it Riverfront Stadium because it’s part of a grander vision, creating a baseball and entertainment village,” Schwechheimer said.… Continue Reading Geography, Not Sponsor, Has Naming Rights in Wichita

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Gridiron Stadium Network Dates Take a Hit

Gridiron Stadium Network Dates Take a Hit

Posted by | Apr 1, 2020 | , ,

TWO DOWN: Two concerts planned for Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., have come off the calendar for this year. (Getty Images) With NFL season dominating fall, some concerts must push to 2021 NFL officials said this week that they expect the 2020 season to start on time despite the COVID-19 pandemic, according to multiple reports. For a large group of NFL venues, though, the coronavirus has put a huge dent in the stadium concert business as events have been pushed to 2021. The Gridiron Stadium Network, founded in 2005 to help NFL teams book more concerts in their buildings, celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. But the milestone has been marked by promoters Live Nation and AEG Presents postponing national tours because of the new coronavirus.  Stadium concerts are important to teams because they don’t have to share that income from concessions and parking, among other revenue streams,… Continue Reading Gridiron Stadium Network Dates Take a Hit

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