Charlotte is getting a major addition to its live music scene.
The N.C. Music Factory announced Thursday that Live Nation will open a Fillmore Music Hall in the entertainment complex in uptown's Fourth Ward. The concert promoter will also exclusively book the music factory's 5,000-seat outdoor boutique amphitheater.
“Having the Fillmore brings a world-class recognition to Charlotte,” said Noah Lazes of ARK Group, which is developing the Music Factory. “The Fillmore is arguably the most respected club venue in the world, by artists as well as fans.”
And with Live Nation operating the venue, “it's the best. It's like having Microsoft running your company,” Lazes said.
The original Fillmore opened in San Francisco in 1965 and attracted such music acts as The Who, Pink Floyd and the Grateful Dead. Since then, Fillmore venues have opened in New York, Miami, Detroit and Denver.
Lazes says the 2,000-seat venue is slated to open in late spring or early summer.
What do you guys -- especially everyone posting on my last entry -- think about the news? Is this what Charlotte needs? Does a name like the Fillmore put Charlotte on the music map?
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Iconic music venue to open in Charlotte
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39 comments:
this is huge! what this town has needed for a while!
I'm speechless. This is great. I can't count how many "Fillmore" albums I own.
this is old news - like 4 yrs old
Putting us on the music map has nothing to do with a franchise, it's got everything to do with crowds showing up for quality bands.
I don't have to leave town as often as I used to in order to see quality music but I still have to drive to Asheville now and then to see a band that skips Charlotte because the city has had a reputation for years as a town of small crowds.
It would be better suited for Asheville.
...and Tonya Jamison said, "sorry folks, rock is dead". Put thatin your pipe and smoke it huffy lady.
This is great news. I love live tunes and this really makes my week. I hope this venue can attract the likes of Railroad Earth, Gov't Mule, My Morning Jacket, etc. I really hope this new venue will shoot a jolt in to what can be a lame music appreciation here in the QC. But we really need to have the best band in the land kick the whole thing off Widespread Panic! It would set the tone.
Filmore is nothing more than a name.
They'll take a rectangle warehouse room, sweep the floor and put apples up front(if they still do that), maybe put a up vinyl banner that says filmore and call it a day.
If they start booking the bands that normally skip Charlotte and play Raleigh or Asheville, I'm all for it. If they end up siphoning away the bands that would normally play at Visulite or Neighborhood Theatre, then what's the point?
we needed it, the live music scene in charlotte sucks.
stop being a hater and support live music ... a quality run venue will help that cause
Anyone who thinks Charlotte has a good live music scene is a joke. Music sucks in Charlotte. One of the cities HUGE drawbacks. Bankers don't love music.
If they can do what PB Scotts did back in the early 80's this will be GRAET!
This is awesome! Charlotte, not Asheville, is the perfect spot. We are the largest city in both Carolinas and the NC Music Factory is going to draw people from both states (and maybe beyond and that is a huge underserved market)! That also includes the bars and restaurants. Charlotte will become the nightlife destination of the Carolinas!
According to some comments, people fail to realize that this isn't just going to draw Charlotte residents. This will draw from a huge regional market and that is what will help make it successful. There are enough people in both states willing to drive to see a show (they already do!) and Charlotte is centrally located and more convenient than Asheville or Raleigh. That is why IKEA decided to open a store here too!
I hope this can get Charlotte headed in the right direction.
Raleigh has such a thriving music scene, and Charlotte is so behind.
Sure we have the big name artists that come to the arena, but I'm talking smaller acts but just as good.
Cool, a McFilmore to go along with rest of the chains that make up Charlotte.
Most transplant bankers don't like good music, but I assure you that if you build it, myself and my space wookie friends will come from near and far. Bring on the jams, we will be Grateful.
We need places like this to attract more young, creative people here. This plus the new art museums/theater will help a lot!
"Anyone who thinks Charlotte has a good live music scene is a joke. Music sucks in Charlotte. One of the cities HUGE drawbacks. Bankers don't love music."
Not totally true. While most bankers only like boring stuff, there are some of us out there who actually grew up supporting small touring bands. The problem is that Charlotte as a whole has bad taste in music. Three to four years ago, a group brought lots of amazing bands to town like Xiu Xiu, Sunset Rubdown, Band of Horses, Devotchka, etc, but of course nobody showed up to those shows.
The problem is also that Charlotte sits right between Atlanta, Charleston, Columbia, Chapel Hill and Asheville. All of those cities are much more attractive to any interesting bands because they either have a big college presence or a big arts community. Yeah, we're always going to get boring stuff like Widespread Panic here, but cities much smaller than us are getting much better music. Tremont constantly got good bands 4 to 5 years ago, but all they get now is bad regional metal bands and high school battle of the bands. Amos' mosty gets Hot Topic emo or people like Chris Daughtry. The only thing decent in town lately has been the Milestone and Snug Harbor, but those aren't pulling anybody, except for a rare national band hitting the Milestone. Recently we did get Mates of State and M83, and those bands never would have played here in the past.
I think another drawback is that no bands are from here except for the Avett Brothers, and they aren't even from Charlotte proper. Currently, Atlanta has Deerhunter and Black Lips, Athens has Dead Confederate and the Whigs, Charleston has Band of Horses via Columbia, and tons of bands either live or got their start in Chapel Hill. There are good bands in Charlotte, but they are few and far between.
This place might pull a bunch of emo bands to play in Charlotte, but those same bands played in Charlotte 5 years ago.
To the Anonymous that just wrote a short book: While I feel that we probably differ to some degree on our particular preferences in bands, and I feel that you are a bit of a show snob (which I respect completely sir), I thank you for letting that stream of consciousness go... awesome.
Come on baby, let the good times roll.
The Fillmore was...and is no more...except for the franchise 'name' that it's become. Seems like a typical corporate move by more Charlotte heavies. My hat goes off to Nick Karres and his now iconic Double Door Inn...the cat who brought music TO the Charlotte scene. You can't "make up" a vibe...The current Charlotte Music scene is vapid and full of back slapping cliques. I happen to promote shows, and find it extememly difficult to put any butts in seats for artists, that in the world of good music, and the welcoming public, would have sold out PDQ...Good luck with this venture...I hope it flies...but, as the saying goes, "The Proof of The Pudding, is In The Eating...time and 'taste' will tell.
Seriously? It's not like Charlotte doesn't already have good music venues like the Neighborhood Theatre, Amos, Tremont, and Visulite.
LiveNation is a racket. Although if they can get acts like My Morning Jacket and Ryan Adams & The Cardinals or Railroad Earth to stop here then I'll cut them a break.
What do the people from Buffalo want? Is this not their city?
Great news! More movement in the right direction. I hope this will help the current live music scene as well as bring in so many acts that pass us over.
Hey, I'M a "banker", and I guarantee Mr Anonymous that I have seen more shows in Charlotte than he has!! Charlotte already HAS mid-sized venues (Tremont and Amos' Southend), but I'm sure anything LiveNation affiliated will be able to bring in more corporate-aligned bands to the area. So, yay!! Now all you grousers (and bankers), SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC!!!
It's great to have a new venue. Calling it Fillmore will not make it successful. Bringing in great bands, (not Steve Miller, Journey, other retreads), for a reasonable price, and promoting the events will make it happen. Rarely are music events in this town advertised effectively, meaning timely and constant reminders. As a Banker who doubles as a local musician, I support music. However, many times I hear about a great band playing in Charlotte after the fact. Also as a boring Banker, I have to admit that I listen to the Allman Bros Live at Fillmore East and Derek and the Dominos Live at Fillmore at least twice a week. Call me boring, but those recordings are music at its finest. Let's hope they do the Fillmore right in Charlotte. I will be there. Will you.
The Fillmore was, is and will always be Historic. However the days of Bill Graham are over and it is very unfortunate that someone now would sell the name out to make a buck. Typical of Live Nation. I have worked in the music business for almost 20 yrs and this is typical of Live Nation to move in and bully around the local promoters that work hard to promote live music in Charlotte. They will try and monopolize the market and use their power to sway bands to play their venue rather than the one they are already playing. They will cause a bidding war with other venues and will drive the ticket prices way up. Do you like paying $9 for a beer at Verizon? How about those $10 hamburgers or the $45 t shirts that you can by online at the band's website for $20? It will be no different at The Fillmore. Live Nation controls Verizon and bands that can't fill enough seats at Verizon,they will move to the fillmore and charge you out the nose to see them. This will hurt other great venues in town such as The Double Door, The Neighborhood Theatre, The Visulite Theatre and even things that go on at Booth Playhouse or other upscale uptown venues. This is not good for Charlotte. Support the people in Charlotte that have supported live music for years, NOT some corporate monster. If you enjoy high ticket prices, wine & cheese, Bobcat games, overpaying for beer and food and sitting behind some corporate putz that has front row seats becuase he was willing to pay way over face value to get them, then this is your place!
cool! wonder when this will be "officially" announced? dont see anything else about it on the net... just hope everything/everyone follows through to make this happen!
People can really be overzealous, especially in Charlotte. While this will probably be a decent addition to the local scene, it will not add any "world class" anything. I'm even skeptical about the regional draw. People in other states, and countries (as some would tell you), are not about to plan big trips to Charlotte, because "they have a Fillmore!" Please.
Sarah, it looks like your readers have a better grasp of the situation than you do -- McFillmore, that is funny -- and accurate.
Live Nation is simply rolling out a new brand -- much as General Mills or Miller might. They already have the House of Blues brand out there.
Speaking of which, if acts that have been by-passing CLT in favor of the HOB in Myrtle start playing CLT's Fillmore outlet, then net good. But understand Live Nation is gonna book the bands according to how it helps them, not the Music Factory.
Later,
JAT
smoke weed today. oh, and smile.
ain't no thang but a chicken wang
Did anyone realize they were building this place right beside the train tracks?
the train tracks & the industrial surroundings add to the flavor, IMO. The reuse of these warehouse style buildings is awesome. And, isn't the Fillmore in San Francisco?
Hello to all of ya'll that are keeping the faith on live music in Charlotte.
I hope all or some of you will come out on Saturday night (Nov. 29) to the Visulite Theatre to celebrate the release of the Masonboro Boys first album length CD. I'm seeing a lot of love on here for Railroad Earth and that sort of thing, and any of ya'll that can get behind flat-picked acoustic guitar, mandolin-driven rockgrass, with a touch of good old-fashioned rock and roll guitar should come out and get you a cd. Check us out at www.masonboroboys.com. We'll have a few sample tunes from the new album up tonight.
It's cheap, it's local, it's homegrown. Check us out! Details at www.visulite.com.
Thanks!
Alex, Ray, Jamie, Pete, and James
The Masonboro Boys
Fillmore is in San Fran. There was also one in NYC back in the 60's. I believe it closed in the early 70's ?
Now there are a few venues with the "Fillmore" name in various cities around the country.
to the banker who said that live nation would bring more corporate affiliated bands I fear you are right. That's what's wrong with music today. Anybody remember the glory days of cityfest before charlotte decided it was too noisy and threw it away? We don't need top 40 radio bands or american idol castoffs like daughtrey(sp?) We need stuff that is interesting and fresh which most of the sheep like corporate drones fail to support. In short bands skip charlotte because their isn't a diverse enough climate as in other towns like asheville,greensboro or raleigh. Stuffy corporate yuppies with bad taste in music have tainted this town.
This sucks! Live Nation is lame in expanding the fillmore brand. There will only every be one fillmore, the on in San Francisco, since East closed. There's no way you can replicate seeing a show in the fillmore anywhere else. Just walking into the fillmore the first time is amazing because of it's history. Bands love to play there because of the history. Naming a new venue the fillmore -insert city name- isn't going to make bands love it like San Francisco. There's nothing like a great show there and walking out to get the poster.
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