Got a Live Nation email regarding Silver Spring Fillmore

[sweetcell]

Originally posted by saintangelsin:
 Instead, they just point blankly turned to the Applebee's or McDonald's equivalent of concert companies.

isn't the venue supposed to be a House of Blues?  if so, i think "strip mall of music venues" would be a more apt analogy.  i think HoB's are horrible venues.  sound is good but their attempts to inject "history" and "rockitude" into those establishments is off-putting.  but i've been to two in the past am and lining up to go to a third this weekend, so apparently i'm willing to put up with it for the right acts.
 
   

Originally posted by Julian, certified WEBLEBRITY:
   

Originally posted by saintangelsin:
 Correct me if I'm wrong but I remember reading somewhere that Nation could hold 2,000 people. 9:30 club  can hold about 960 people. Black Cat's main concert room can hold I think almost 700 people. Reacher Theatre can hold close to 1,000. Sonar can hold about 1,000 and Ramshead Live! can hold about 1,600.

I question that 9:30 Club figure. I think 898 is the posted downstairs fire code maximum alone. [/b]

yup, the 930's capacity clocks in at 1200.

[6949]

Originally posted by hutch:
  by the way Jim Graham repsonded like this..but this was a year ago and I have heard nothing about an RFP.. maybe I'll write the Council again:
 
 Thanks. We might very well end up with such a venue. AN RFP is about to issued.  Perhaps 9:30 will apply along with others. Bests

I worked for years to develop that 3200 seat venue.  Based on market research at the time that was the best size venue for DC in the 2000-7500 seat range. It was part of a larger project. I wish I could go in to more detail on here but the bottom line is that certain City Council members (not Graham) stalled the project.  The project recently folded.

[anarchist]

dc has no need for another "mid-size" venue.  we have lisner,warner,dar,bender,mcdonough,patriot ctr,dc armory,lincoln,ritchie,strathmore,more(?). there are not enough acts to fill these venues on a nightly basis.  no private $ is going to build another venue of this size.  you might not like what is available, but it is already built and in use.  the fillmore would compete directly with 930. both venues would be dark more often or they would start taking acts from the black cat who would take acts from the rnr hotel who would take acts from dc9+velvet lounge.

[6949]

Originally posted by Sir HC:
    The 3-5k range is viewed as hell by most concert people, hard to keep profitable in that size in most markets.  
 

It's supposedly a great size for elevator acts....acts that are on the way up or on the way down.

[sonickteam2]

Originally posted by anarchist:
  dc has no need for another "mid-size" venue.  we have lisner,warner,dar,bender,mcdonough,patriot ctr,dc armory,lincoln,ritchie,strathmore,more(?).  

4 of them are school gyms.

[Giles]

Originally posted by Julian, certified WEBLEBRITY:
  Thanks. As a fan of competition, I will absolutely email them in support of the end of the de facto IMP monopoly in the metro DC area.

I second that...

[Giles]

Originally posted by sweetcell:
   

Originally posted by Julian, certified WEBLEBRITY:
  Thanks. As a fan of competition, I will absolutely email them in support of the end of the de facto IMP monopoly in the metro DC area.

i take it you're also a fan of using public money for private ventures?  seth is on record as saying that he welcomes competition, but he - along with a lot of other people - object to how the LiveNation deal was negotiated in the dark, using public funds, and without a call for competitive (!) bids.
 
 [/b]

really, welcoming competition... um... remember the promised DC House of Blues [points finger]

[Giles]

according to StubHub, DC is a low 18th place as a 'rockin' city:
 
 Richmond speeds past D.C. as buzzing concert scene
 Washington Business Journal - by Tierney Plumb, Staff Reporter
 
 D.C. slipped this year on StubHub�??s third annual ranking of the 20 most-active markets for summer concert tickets.
 
 U.S. cities that use the San Francisco-based ticket marketplace were ranked based on total sales for concerts between May 15 and Sept. 15.
 
 The Richmond area took the biggest leap on the list, moving up from No. 17 to No. 9 this year, helped by performances from Jimmy Buffett, Radiohead, Bruce Springsteen, Jonas Brothers and Dave Matthews Band -- the majority of which took place at Nissan Pavilion.
 
 Despite D.C.�??s three best-selling acts hosted at the Verizon Center �?? Coldplay, Eagles and Pearl Jam �?? it dropped to No. 18 from No. 15 in 2007.
 
 For the third year in a row, New York took the top seat, hosting such performances as Billy Joel�??s sold out musical �??Last Plays at Shea�?� in July.
 
 Joel commanded the highest average selling ticket price among the summer�??s top concerts, at $230 apiece.
 
 Boston jumped to No. 2 on this year�??s list after ranking No. 4 in 2007 on the strength of Kenny Chesney and Bruce Springsteen�??s performances at Gillette Stadium.
 
 Two newcomers made debuts on the list, with Indianapolis at No. 13 and Cleveland at No. 20.
 
 The most expensive concert ticket sold this summer as of Aug. 11 through StubHub, an eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) company, was $4,000 for a front row seat to the Dave Matthews Band concert in New York City on Sept. 10. The cheapest: $2 for a middle section ticket to see the same band in Michigan on June 9.
 
 
 2008 America�??s 20 Most Rockin�?? Cities
 
 New York City
 Boston
 Los Angeles
 Philadelphia
 Chicago
 San Francisco Bay Area
 Hartford
 Detroit
 Richmond
 Dallas
 Atlanta
 Las Vegas
 Indianapolis
 Atlantic City
 Seattle
 Denver
 Houston
 Washington
 Miami
 Cleveland
 
 ~
 
 it's very apparent when there isn't alot of competition or multiple venues like other cities has.

[Christine Moritz]

Originally posted by Giles:
 U.S. cities that use the San Francisco-based ticket marketplace were ranked based on total sales for concerts between May 15 and Sept. 15.

This seems like a faulty methodology for gauging "rocking-ness"... it means that a city with a bunch of mainstream, high-priced shows could come out ahead of one with cheaper, more indie-oriented shows.
 
 Not to mention that from what I've seen, tickets for the 9:30 Club tend to cost less than those for identical shows in cities like New York or Chicago.

[Giles]

StubHub is even faulty for including Nissan as a Richmond venue - come on, I don't think so...
 
 but even for indie oriented shows - DC doesn't even come close to the number of venues that Philly has.  More bands go to Philly because there are more venues to choose from to book them. One could also attribute Philly having a much more vibrant music scene because they actually have radio station XPN - that plays eclectic music.  You'd think XM would have built to a music venue to showcase and broadcast shows, but nope... no deal for Washingtonians.  NPR though is in the works for the construction of a multi-purpose venue, to do just that: music, lectures, etc.  I know that NPR work with the 9:30 to broadcast online concerts which is great (the 'Of Montreal' show will be available tonight), but it's also in their best interest to have their own venue.

[kosmo vinyl]

i don't think it's the "lack" of venues as to why bands skip DC....

[Giles]

sucky radio?  what, why?
 
 I remember someone saying that some bands request that a venue be a particular size to maximise ticket sales/profit - if none are available they can choose not to play in a city/region.  
 
 wasn't there at one point talk about the DC Armoury being converted to showcase larger 'music' shows?

[kosmo vinyl]

the only person that can truly answered authoritatively around here is Seth...

[sweetcell]

first they need subsidies, now they need to have laws changed...
 
 County alters zoning policy, clears way for Live Nation venue
 
 sounds like it's almost a done deal.