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amphitheater

Ben Lovett, Amphitheater

Ben Lovett, Venue Group On Huntsville Amphitheater Progress

February 23, 2021 by Grace Treutel
Art, Culture, Huntsville, Live Music, News
alabama, amphitheater, ben lovett, huntsville, huntsville al, huntsville alabama, huntsville amphitheater, huntsville venue, live music, midcity, midcity distract, mike luba, ryan murphy, venue group

In late 2020, HuntsvilleMusic.com covered some of the biggest news of the year for our city – the official announcement of Huntsville’s newest park, the Amphitheater at MidCity.

And today, Huntsville Venue Group, the driving force behind the amphitheater, dropped an update on its amphitheater plans, complete with a video to stoke your excitement for the venue-recreation-entertainment juggernaut.

Plus, we got a chance to talk to Ben Lovett, founder of Venue Group and member of Grammy-award winning band Mumford & Sons, about all things amphitheater and Huntsville.

The shiniest, most exciting piece of Venue Group’s update was their video – a video showcasing Huntsville in all its vibrant, colorful glory, produced with the help of Knoxville-based videographers Loch & Key.

“This is unique,” says Devyn Keith, City Council Member, about the Amphitheater. “And if done correctly, the world will see it.” He’s sitting in his newly opened coffee shop, Dark Side Coffee, an endeavor that further cemented his reputation for not just saying but doing. And Keith, like so many others representing our city, is ready to do.

 A quality that Ben Lovett recognizes about our leadership, and much of what brought the amphitheater here in the first place.

In the video, Ben enthuses about Huntsville, his passion and excitement for this project sparking on screen. When I interview him about this, I ask him why – specifically, why Huntsville?

“There’s quite a lot of elements that make Huntsville a very special opportunity for growth and culture,” says Ben, with the fluency of someone speaking from the heart. “This region of North Alabama has such a rich history when it comes to music. You’ve got the story of Singing River, the Shoals – and you connect all of this with the administration in Huntsville that really values the results.”

The administration he’s referring to is represented in Venue Group’s video, matching Ben’s excitement about this massive project. And Ben doesn’t pull punches, calling them out by name, giving praise where he feels praise is due – to Huntsville itself.

“[The administration] is clear-minded in their goals to make Huntsville a better place. They’re just exactly what leaders should be – these people like John Hamilton and Mayor Battle and Devyn Keith. They’re pure of heart and you can tell there’s no bullshit, if you pardon my French. The people leading the progress are doing it for the right reasons. The administration plus the history and the people, it all creates this perfect storm of a moment to do something special.”

And the video showcases this. Making up the rest of the motley crew of Huntsville champions represented in the five-minute watch are musical artists Translee and DEQN SUE, Mayor Tommy Battle, Venue Group founder and president Ben Lovett and Ryan Murphy, Tangled String Studios owner Danny Davis, producer Mike Luba, and city administrator John Hamilton.

“The premise is we’re gonna build the best venue in the world,” says Ben on-camera, as if it’s simple. And to Ben, a concert-venue veteran, it is. “I’ve spent a lot of time over the last 5 years trying to figure out what it is about a venue that makes it special. A really critical part of that is the food and beverage experience.”

I ask him to expand on this – specifically, I ask him which dish he’s most excited to eat once the amphitheater is open.

“We’ve been throwing around some concepts. The thought that turns my head is this noodle bar, and just… having a noodle bar in the concourse. It’s so far from what you expect from a venue. You can go get a healthy meal that actually makes you feel good at a show instead of eating something heavy that makes you feel like you need to take a nap.”

This desire to make ‘better’ on the biggest scale possible is woven throughout the project, as evidenced by Ben’s excitement over creating this ‘food village.’

Amphitheater quote

“[Curating this food experience] is the next big challenge for the project over the next three to six months. I like that we can widen the palate of what’s available to the community; we can sort of bring in the best of London, of Austin, of New York City, and bring all of this to Huntsville and create this cross-pollination of culinary experience.”

Throughout the video, the rest of the amphitheater team echoes this sentiment. Ryan Murphy, president of Huntsville Venue Group and a good friend of HuntsvilleMusic.com, emphasizes the long-term effects this will have on shaping and creating the culture of our city.

“Right now, there’s a great opportunity for people to be taking that heritage and that history and not only amplifying the past but really writing the future for this whole area,” he says, sitting in his office, walls covered with blueprints of all the great things to come.

The video closes with Ben’s words as he earnestly tells  the audience, “One of the greatest joys of my career has been working on the Huntsville amphitheater. I mean, there’s so much to come; we are just at the starting line.”

I ask him why, exactly, working on this particular project counts among the greatest joys, and Ben is characteristically forthcoming.

“I’ve done a lot of things in the last 15 years. I’ve written songs, gone on tours, started a record label that’s done well, founded a publishing company. But I realized six years ago that I was still missing something. I wanted this thing – I had this idea that my grandchildren could one day step inside a place of mine and feel me, feel family. Venue Group has a lot of family, it’s who we are. Generations from now, we’ll have this space that can be a part of not only our lives but other people’s lives.”

He’s referring not only to the many families that make up Venue Group but also the families within it. He and his brother, Greg Lovett, are prominent leaders within the company.

But Ben’s desire to create something lasting goes beyond family. It’s all about experience, and creating spaces where life can unfold in all of its beauty.

Amphitheater Blue Print 3
Amphitheater Blue Print 2
These are the blueprints that decorate the office of Huntsville Venue Group.
Amphitheater Blue Print 1

“I had this experience once, when I was seeing a show in a London venue we built. And it was this brilliant singer, Frances, performing. And she invited a friend on stage… [and] he ended up proposing to his boyfriend there, on that stage. And I just thought, ‘this stage didn’t exist a year before.’ It was just rubble. But now it’s this place where these moments are happening.”

And it’s all about looking forward and building for the future.

“I love the idea that people will have local legacy stories about the Huntsville amphitheater. It could be as simple as, ‘Oh, I saw the Alabama Shakes play at the amphitheater in 2023.’ And by then it’s 2070 and that seems so long ago – it just seems so crazy. We’ve been building [the Huntsville amphitheater] with this longevity in mind. And this is going to be the most grand music venue that’s been built in the last five or so years in the world.

Along with the video, Venue Group also released a press release with amphitheater news. We distilled down the four major takeaways from the press release:

  • Construction is officially underway for the amphitheater, which is going to boast a completely unique design inspired by classical architecture but with a modern twist. ‘It looks almost Roman coliseum-like,’ says Mayor Tommy Battle.
  • Doors are set to open in April, 2022 – that’s only a year and some change away, guys. I am ready.
  • Ben Lovett, founder of Venue Group and member of Grammy-award winning band Mumford & Sons, hand-picked Huntsville as the ‘perfect location for their first foray into the U.S. market’ for building ‘a new era of world class music venues combined with significant community growth and amenities.’
  • Venue Group is hard at work curating an experience that swells beyond ‘just’ music – their focus is on creating a ‘food village’ surrounding the amphitheater that will be open year-round and provide dining and recreation options for Huntsville, regardless of what’s going on at the amphitheater.

You can find the full press release on the Amphitheater’s website.

Grace Headshot
Grace Treutel

Grace is the Content Director of HuntsvilleMusic.com and lives in Madison, AL, which really isn’t that far, guys.


Got ideas on how we can help build Huntsville’s music scene? We’re all ears. Send me an EMAIL with any questions, comments, or suggestions, and  SiGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER for important updates. Don’t worry – we won’t overload you. Important stuff only, promise.

huntsvillemusic.com/
4 Things Header

4 Things We’re Thankful For

November 11, 2020 by Alex Hendrix
Culture, Live Music, News
alabama, alabama amphitheater, amphitheater, huntsville, huntsville al, huntsville al live music, huntsville alabama, huntsville amphitheater, huntsville live music, huntsville music, live music huntsville al, live music huntsville alabama, music venue, outdoor event, outdoor venue, venue

‘Tis the season to count your blessings and not your calories, at least that’s what we tell ourselves as we reach for one more Good Company pastry.

2020 has been a wild one, but we’re here to say that it hasn’t been all bad. Even in the bleakest of times, we’ve found some key things to be thankful for, from quirky new jams to multi-million dollar developments.

Forward Motion

We are thankful for…forward motion

While so many cities have come to screeching halt amid the uncertainty of pandemic life, Huntsville has continued to gain momentum. The Rocket City has taken the time to innovate and reimagine, and because of that we are seeing live music return with safety measures in place. From Mars Music Hall’s local series to Humphrey’s patio shows, Huntsville venues are bringing your favorite Huntsville faces back to the stage for live performances all across town.

But we’re not just returning to the typical — we’re also making moves. And excitement for a big move, the Huntsville Amphitheater, is palpable.

At the start of the pandemic, the fate of the amphitheater, a large-scale project, seemed to be up in the air. But we’re happy to report that Huntsville’s amphitheater-slash-park-slash-community-mecca is right on track for a 2022 opening and slated to give 8,000 music lovers perfect acoustics and uninterrupted views.

We are thankful for…new tunes

Many artists have taken time during quarantine to perfect a plan for releasing new music, and we are loving the additions to our playlists. In the last few weeks alone we’ve been graced with Live Local alum Preston Watts’ long-awaited release, Distractions from the Truth, a new single from beloved duo The Beasley Brothers, and a full-length album from Huntsville transplant Andrew Loehr.

Plus, there’s even more to come in November. WANDA is releasing their debut record this month, with first single Lazy Susan already out and garnering rave reviews. Fans are encouraged to pre-order now and celebrate the milestone release of their album, One-Hit, this Saturday, November 14th at Gold Sprint for their release show.

Preston Watts
Wanda - One Hit Wonder
Andrew Loehr
New Tunes
Lines
Tireless Supporters
Lines

We are thankful for… tireless supporters:

It would be impossible to have a collaborative music effort in Huntsville without the constant support of community members who work tirelessly to build up musicians and venues. These busy hands are often working long hours behind the scenes with very little personal payoff.

Judy Allison

Huntsville locals like Judy Allison, Huntsville Music Board member and Founder of Purple19, which hosts Music Biz Mondays, education for musicians on how to navigate the music scene and SheWrites, a songwriter showcase for female writers.

Tim Miller

We also want to mention our friend Tim Miller, who has been busy promoting local artists on his podcast In Tune with T-Mill and has spearheaded many community projects during 2020.

Mario Maitland

And of course, Mario Maitland, who founded Maitland Conservatory to ensure the future of musicians themselves, helping children pursue their dreams and passions while also cultivating a knowledge and education that assists them in actually achieving their goals.

Of course, Huntsville has many more faces that deserve a full-blown Beaches moment where we sing Wind Beneath My Wings as the sun sets, though this article would go way off the rails if we tried to fit them all into it. Please know that we see you and we are thankful for you.

Deserved Recognition

We are thankful for… deserved recognition:

It’s no small feat to carve out a place for the Arts in a city built on science and technology, which is why it feels like a massive victory to be acknowledged. This is why we are overjoyed that Huntsville just won the national Scout Guide Campaign’s Top Artistic City.

We were placed in this category alongside major locations such as New Orleans, Memphis,  and Richmond, so earning the top spot is something that should not be taken lightly. This further proves that Rocket City is on the rise, quickly becoming a destination for arts and music lovers as well as artists and musicians themselves.

And lastly and most importantly, we are thankful for you. For all of you who have embraced us and joined our mission to bring Huntsville music to the forefront. Thank you, from our weird family to yours.

Alex Hendrix
Alex Hendrix

Alex is a native Huntsvillian and a singer/songwriter, culture promoter, and content creator.


Got ideas on how we can help build Huntsville’s music scene? We’re all ears. Send us an EMAIL with any questions, comments, or suggestions, and  SiGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER for important updates. Don’t worry – we won’t overload you. Important stuff only, promise.

info@alexhendrix.co
The Venue Group - Amphitheater

Amphitheater To Be Huntsville’s Newest Park

November 4, 2020 by Grace Treutel
Culture, Live Music, News
alabama, alabama amphitheater, amphitheater, huntsville, huntsville al, huntsville al live music, huntsville alabama, huntsville amphitheater, huntsville live music, huntsville music, live music huntsville al, live music huntsville alabama, music venue, outdoor event, outdoor venue, venue

Huntsville’s newest park is set to open its doors in 2022 — and by park, we mean amphitheater.

Ryan Murphy, President of Huntsville Venue Group and the mastermind behind the amphitheater, met with HuntsvilleMusic.com to fill us in on the big things ahead for Huntsville’s amphitheater. It’s a project that’s been two years in the making and which, as of October 2020, has been officially greenlit by Huntsville city.

“It’s going to look like nothing you’ve seen before,” Ryan promises, his excitement contagious.

The amphitheater will be a Romanesque marvel designed to hold 8,000 to 8,500 showgoers with not a single bad seat in the house. The design is intentional; the inside will be a bowl created to ‘hug in the sound,’ ensuring that everyone in attendance will be able to hear the live music regardless of seat.

“We’re lifting [audience members] up and bringing them in as tight as possible. The artist/fan experience is just mind-blowing at that point. Even in the worst seat in the house, you’re seeing the whites of the performers’ eyes.

 

And those ‘worst seats’ will be made all the better since the higher you climb in the amphitheater’s bowl, the better your view will be of Huntsville’s breathtaking skyline and sunsets.

But it isn’t just Huntsville locals Ryan and his team plan on attracting with the amphitheater. The plan is to draw in big-name performers and eventually host festivals and other events that turn the amphitheater into what Ryan refers to as a “pilgrimage spot,” further cementing Huntsville as a Music City in its own right.

“When Sound Diplomacy was here researching the idea of an amphitheater for the sound audit, my partners flew down and suggested creating an amphitheater that wouldn’t be just one of many but would be the one. The only one like it.”

Ryan Murphy - The Venue Group

Currently, the amphitheater is set to begin construction in 2021 with a projected completion date of January 2022. Its open-air structure means it will be a viable venue for socially distant events and allow for safe event-going in the current climate. The first concert won’t be for several months after construction is complete, but Ryan doesn’t plan on waiting until then to open the doors.

“By February and March [of 2022], ideally we’re doing community events. I am very much a proponent of opening this place up and literally anyone who wants to see it – wants to walk around, check it out – you’ll have a couple months to have done that before the first major concert. I wanna open this place and people go, ‘hey, I might not ever buy a ticket to see a concert there, but I can walk through and go grab a sandwich, a beer, I can go have a picnic, I can go do yoga, I can run the stairs.’”

Amphitheater Blue Print 1
Amphitheater Blue Print 2
These are the blueprints that decorate the office of The Venue Group.
Amphitheater Blue Print 3

 

Ryan’s list of amphitheater activities outside of shows isn’t merely hypothetical; all of these suggestions are rooted in experience. After all, this isn’t the first amphitheater he’s conceptualized and reinvented.

Ryan spent the last decade bringing the St. Augustine Amphitheater – colloquially and affectionately known as The Amp – into a new golden age. Along with booking star-power performers like Stevie Nicks, Steely Dan, and Santana, Ryan introduced community-minded initiatives like farmer’s markets, art shows, and smaller-scale concerts by local artists. It’s this vision he plans on iterating here in Huntsville.

“At St. Augustine, I’d get to work at 7:30 and there’d be people doing yoga in the pit. On any given day, there may be a farmer’s market, there’d be bands, there’s stuff for kids. There’d always be something going on to where you could go and not spend a dollar and still have a full day of fun.”

My question: “So… it’s like a park?’

Ryan Murphy - The Venue Group

 

“It is, yeah. It’s entirely for Huntsville, by Huntsville. We want to really drive home that point – that this is yours. Granted, we’ll still have ticketed events with awesome artists playing, but on any given day, if there’s not a concert, these gates are wide open.”

But it won’t only be big names performing in the 8,000-capacity venue. When asked about other, smaller bands and local acts, Ryan was enthusiastic about involving and showcasing this talent, too.

“We’ll have smaller bands play, too – we’ll get creative.”

Ryan draws inspiration from well-known, community-embracing venues like Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado and Forest Hills Stadium in New York, both of which encourage community involvement and have famously expanded beyond the traditional understanding of a music venue. He believes that with the right mindset and the right community, the Huntsville Amphitheater can be counted among these ranks.

The amphitheater will be located in the MidCity district, tucked into the greenway to enhance the park-going experience. It will attract shows across all genres and be home to future festivals, art installations, farmers markets, and more. To stay up to date on the amphitheater’s progress, visit huntsvilleamphitheater.com and sign up for their mailing list, or follow them on social media @huntsvilleamphitheater.

Ryan’s promise to the community (and beyond) is simple: “On any given day, there’s going to be something.”

And we at HuntsvilleMusic.com cannot wait to go.

Ryan Murphy talks about the future plans for park.
Ryan Murphy talks about the orientation of the amphitheater.
Watch Know Huntsville’s interview with Ryan Murphy.
Grace Headshot
Grace Treutel

Grace is the Content Director of HuntsvilleMusic.com and lives in Madison, AL, which really isn’t that far, guys.


Got ideas on how we can help build Huntsville’s music scene? We’re all ears. Send me an EMAIL with any questions, comments, or suggestions, and  SiGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER for important updates. Don’t worry – we won’t overload you. Important stuff only, promise.

huntsvillemusic.com/

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