Early next year, Grand Rapids will be home to a new 2,580-seat concert venue next to The B.O.B. Is that one of the final pieces of the puzzle for West Michigan’s music scene?
For years, there have been discussions, changes in plans and plenty of anticipation for a new concert venue next to The B.O.B. in downtown Grand Rapids.
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Now, those plans have crystallized: The Gilmore Collection has paired with Live Nation’s House of Blues Entertainment for its new music venue opening in early 2017 next to The B.O.B., the two companies announced today.
With a “working name” of 20 Monroe Live, the venue will have a capacity of 2,580, scaleable to between 500 and 2,200, depending on the needs of the touring musical artists they plan to book there.
“With the addition of the 20 Monroe Live project and Live Nation’s House of Blues Entertainment as our partner, the offerings at The B.O.B.. will be vastly expanded all under one roof in the city,” Greg Gilmore, president of The Gilmore Collection, said in a prepared statement.
“From a new four-season beer garden, comedy club, piano bar, four restaurants, brewery, nightclub, multiple private party rooms and now a venue for the country’s top touring acts, we will have a one-stop experience to bring the community together in this great venture.”
The 20 Monroe Live venue will feature art deco décor and a movable stage that will allow for the different configurations and seating capacities.
DOES THIS FILL A NICHE IN GRAND RAPIDS?
A V.I.P. club will have a private bar and outdoor patio. 20 Monroe Live also will be available for private events, corporate meetings, charity functions and festivals, according to the companies’ press release. Events will be served by Gilmore Catering.
Bands, managers and industry officials have long debated the needs of Grand Rapids’ music scene and whether another mid-sized venue — larger than The Intersection, The Orbit Room and DeVos Performance Hall, but smaller than the sprawling 11,000-12,000 capacity Van Andel Arena or even the 6,200-seat DeltaPlex Arena — might help draw additional touring acts which might otherwise skip the city in favor of concert halls in Detroit, Chicago or elsewhere.
This may finally answer that question, and it will certainly be intriguing to see what kind of performers end up playing 20 Monroe Live in a region that seems to have an insatiable appetite for live music. EDM acts? Rock and blues artists? Regional bands?
The companies said the full capacity of 2,580 includes general admission standing room floor and a seated mezzanine, with scalable options of 1,200, 1,600 and 2,200. Reserved seating shows will range from 500 to 1,700.
“The new venue will feature the best sound system of any club its size, unparalleled sightlines, and superb food and beverage, making it one of the most artist and fan-friendly venues in the U.S.,” said Ron Bension, president of Live Nation’s House of Blues Entertainment Division. “It will be a great experience that rivals the best concert halls anywhere in the country.”
That remains to be seen, but it most certainly adds to the potential for further boosting the Grand Rapids area music scene — and the kind of live entertainment that the city can host.
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