By BRUCE GOULD, guest columnist
Tickets went on sale on April 19 for the opening show in the new Brown County Music Center. The first show will be on Aug. 24 and the opening performer is Vince Gill.
The tickets were available through the Brown County Music Center website, Live Nation website, or in person at the Brown County Visitors Center. Tickets for all shows are available through these options, and once the theater is open, the box office on site will also sell tickets.
Of the 2,000 Vince Gill tickets available, 636 tickets were sold to Vince Gill Fan Club members prior to the sale date and the remainder of the tickets sold out in less than an hour on April 19.
The BCMC staff and management board could not be more pleased with the public excitement about the venue.
Our society and beyond has seen a recent shift to individuals desiring memorable experiences rather than acquiring physical possessions. Discretionary income is now more often spent on going places and doing things rather than buying new cars and houses. Everybody has his own concept of the types of experiences that would be most desired, from a spectacular vacation destination to a dining out experience.
Happiness based on material items quickly fades, while experiences become part of our identity and provide fond memories that get better as time passes. Experiences define our individual purpose and passion. Possessions don’t contribute to social relationships. We consume experiences with others and they become part of the story we tell one another. While experiences are designed to be fleeting, they provide a high level of pleasure and memorability due to anticipation. Experiences introduce us to a whole new world of perspectives and life lessons.
In Brown County alone, we have seen the introduction of zip lines, mountain bike trails, and now a music venue. Brown County’s list of potentials for unique experiences is growing and adds to Brown County’s ability to be a destination. The rapid rise in opportunities for experiences has become a driving force in our nation’s economy and will continue into the foreseeable future.
The demand for experiences has resulted in a dramatic increase in entertainment venues across the country. This increase is driven not only by the demand for more experience opportunities, but also by the availability of high-quality entertainers.
In the recent past, musicians derived the greatest part of their income from music sales, such as albums and tapes. Touring was more a way of publicizing a new release and was considered a hardship on the musicians. Many bands toured infrequently.
Times have changed, and today, music is downloaded on a computer or iPhone and musicians receive little or nothing in the way of income from music sales. The primary source of revenue for musicians is live performances.
Because of the fond memories many of us have related to our musical past, the demand to hear and see live performances from musicians that impacted our earlier days is very strong. For the younger crowd, hearing relatively new music, a dramatic theatrical performance by a band may be more memorable than the music itself.
Our goal is that the BCMC will be able to book all genres of music and provide memorable events to all age groups. Aside from the economics of the BCMC, our hope is that, over the years to come, the fond memories created in the BCMC and in all of Brown County will create smiles in the minds of countless visitors.
Bruce Gould is vice president of the Maple Leaf Management Group. Any questions about the venue can be sent to [email protected].
