This summer, visitors and residents alike will have the opportunity to watch national acts in their own backyard when the Brown County Music Center opens.
But before grand-opening act Vince Gill takes the stage on Aug. 24, there will be two opportunities for people to watch live music in the 2,000-seat venue for free.
The first soft opening at the BCMC will be Saturday, Aug. 17 with local bands the Acre Brothers and the Grasshounds performing.
The second soft opening featuring the Bloomington band 1-4-5’s, Brown County-based J.C. Clements Band and Indiana blues musicians the Governor Davis Band will happen Wednesday, Aug. 21.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]Both shows will run from 7 to 10 p.m.
A ribbon cutting is also scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 15 including light refreshments, guided tours and a performance by NTB3 (Not Too Bluegrass Band).
All events are free, but tickets will be required for the soft opening events to allow staff to practice scanning tickets for events. Tickets can be picked up at the venue’s box office at the Brown County Visitors Center beginning Tuesday, July 9. Tickets will be given on a first-come, first-served basis, said Audience Services Manager Andrea Swift-Hanlon.
For the main, paid acts already booked for the venue, as of last week, 6,083 tickets had been sold for the shows currently on sale, Herring said.
County artist Clint Black’s show is nearing a sell-out and the singing group Home Free’s show is 800 tickets away from being a sell-out, Hanlon said.
The BCMC also has a Save Your Seat program, where people can pay $500 to reserve a seat in the venue all year. Seat-savers still have to pay for tickets to each show, though. Seat-savers will receive an email a two weeks before a show asking if they wish to use their seat; if not, the venue can sell them to other people.
The group’s goal is to have 100 Save Your Seats reserved. Last week, Executive Director Dana Beth Evans said there were only six seats left. “It has sold extremely well,” Evans said.
The Brown County Community Foundation receives all donations to the BCMC, which includes the Save Your Seat money. Money from the Save Your Seat program is given to the venue after the foundation takes a small percentage for a fee, Evans said. The BCCF also is to receive excess profits from the venue after the venue meets its financial obligations. The vision is for those profits to go back to the community in some way.
At the venue’s management group meeting on May 28, co-President Barry Herring said the venue’s staff had recently met with Live Nation, the venue’s contracted national booking agency, and that their representatives said the ticket sales were “right where they wanted them to be” and that the process is running smoothly.
Herring also reported that the group has $2.5 million left to draw for the project out of the $12.5 million loan to build it. He said the venue has nearly a half-million dollars in the bank already.
Acts booked so far include Josh Turner, Here Come the Mummies, Art Garfunkel, Tesla, and George Thorgood & the Destroyers. Dates and ticket prices can be found at browncountymusiccenter.com.
Firsthand look
On May 30, the Brown County Rotary Club had a chance to tour the venue. Around 30 people attended the tour where Herring, Construction Chair Jim Schultz and Executive Director Dana Beth Evans spoke.
“The expectations are high for a quality experience here,” Schultz told the group gathered in the theater. National stage lighting company Bandit Lites and sound acoustic engineer Steven Durr have both been contracted as sound and lighting engineers.
The “worst” seat in the venue is only 106 feet away from the stage, Herring added.
Rotary Club members had some questions. One woman asked how many stalls were in the women’s restroom. The answer was 25.
Another asked if the venue would have enough parking. Herring said they’re in talks with the Brown County IGA and YMCA to offer parking for a fee. He also said they are hoping people will walk the Salt Creek Trail to the venue. The group is also looking into ways to provide additional lighting for the trail, like possibly handing out flashlights or using solar lights. But so far, the cost of adding lights on the trail is well into the six figures.
The parking capacity is almost four guests to one parking spot, Schultz said.
The venue lost 150 parking spots when the federal government declared an emerging wetland in the parking lot. The government wanted the venue to pay $216,000 to be able to use the spots, which they did not pay, Schultz said.
Another person asked about the possibility of providing bicycle parking. Herring said that would be a good idea to consider.
Other ideas include encouraging local entrepreneurs to run shuttle buses, or to become on-demand drivers with services such as Uber and Lyft.
After Schultz, Herring and Evans spoke, the group was allowed to walk around the venue to check out the construction progress.
Last week, Hanlon said that construction is on schedule and that the parking was being prepped and grated. Installation of performance lighting and seating will begin in mid-July. The concrete has been poured inside the theater and the sidewalks are being filled outside of the venue.
Want to volunteer?
For each show the music venue will need between 30 and 50 volunteers. Currently, the venue has a list of 90 people signed up to volunteer, Hanlon said. The goal is to have a list of 150 volunteers to call on for shows.
“Having that amount gives us coverage when someone is unavailable. There are incentives, such as watching the show for free while you are participating. We are also working on some other perks,” Hanlon said.
A “street team” is also being put together now to hang up posters and calendars in Nashville and surrounding areas. More information can be found on the venue’s website. Team members must be 16 and older with a valid driver’s license. Those who volunteer on the street team will get concert tickets and concession tokens.
Volunteers also will be needed to help set the venue up once the staff moves in. Those interested can sign up as volunteers on the venue’s website.
“We will have plenty of furniture to unpack and move, along with getting general day-to-day things set up within the venue. If you have a heart to serve, we want you,” Hanlon said.
Financial sponsors
For businesses looking for sponsorship opportunities at the BCMC, different levels exist ranging from $4,000 to $8,000. Advertisements also can be purchased in programs that cost between $100 and $1,000, Evans said.
Patron contributions ranging from $25 to $10,000 will also be listed in the venue’s programs. Anyone interested in these opportunities can email Evans at [email protected].
The management group also was considering selling naming rights to the venue, but Herring said on May 28 that Live Nation had encouraged them to put off selling naming rights due to the recent name change of Brown County Music Center from Maple Leaf Performing Arts Center.
Herring said one naming rights proposal was still out that the group would honor if it was accepted, but if not, the group will focus on sponsorships “until we can get open and get more established.”
Evans said last week that her staff keeps crossing items off of their task lists as the opening date nears closer.
“Our team is working very hard to be ready for our community and visitors to enjoy our beautiful venue. Like you, we are excited to get open. We appreciate the outpouring of support from the community,” Evans said.
“We have more events and fun activities to share with you as we progress to our opening. We are looking forward to not only sharing these incredible performances and acts, but also provide a top-notch experience while you visit the Brown County Music Center.”
