Beech Tree News Network

This week, I’ll look at a few of my favorite concert venues that are no more.  First up is Roberts Municipal Stadium.  Roberts Stadium was a multi-purpose arena in Evansville, Indiana for sports, public events and concerts, Built in 1956, it seated up to 12,732 spectators and featured four locker rooms and a press room.  On June 13, 1972, it hosted a concert by Elvis Presley.  He performed at Roberts for a second and final time October 24, 1976, breaking all existing attendance records by drawing a crowd of 13,500. Roberts Stadium hosted concerts by musicians such as Garth Brooks, Taylor Swift, Jimi Hendrix, Alice Cooper, Bon Jovi, Bob Dylan, George Strait and Tool.  In addition to concerts, it was also the home of the Evansville Purple Aces college basketball team.  In 2008, the Evansville city council approved plans to construct a new arena that opened in the Fall of 2011 called the Ford Center.  I remember seeing Garth once and George Strait a few times at that arena. 

The second arena I’ll review is Starwood Amphitheatre in Antioch, Tennessee.. For 20 years, it was home to the biggest performances and screaming fans. Its appeal attracted the tours of the biggest names in rock, pop, and old and new country singers.    Fast-forward to today and the 65-acre venue located on Murfreesboro Pike sits abandoned.  Locks now replace gates that previously welcomed millions of fans, the parking lot empty, the stage no more.   

Britney Spears, Jimmy Buffett, Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer and many more have played at the venue that has sit silent since 2006.  Groundbreaking for the once primary outdoor music venue in Nashville was held November 11, 1985.  It opened in June 1986.  The Monkees, Dwight Yoakam, Charlie Daniels Band, James Taylor and Willie Nelson were all among the first performers to hit the outdoor stage that summer.   

For the next 20 years, the venue with seating for more than 17,000 fans, brought in some of the top acts, including Sarah McLachlan and Hanson in 1998, Britney Spears in 2000 and the late Tom Petty in 2005.  A year later, Aerosmith and Motley Crue were the last bands to perform at the venue.   

During its 20-year history, the venue went through several name changes.  I saw Dave Matthews during their tour for their breakthrough album, Under the Table and Dreaming in 1994, I also saw John Mayer early in his career. It was sold to First American National Bank and was renamed First American Music Center.  In 2000, it was renamed again to AmSouth Ampitheatre.  The venue later went back to its original name in 2004 until its closing.   

In February 2007, Live Nation announced its intention to close the outdoor venue and the upcoming concert season was cancelled.  In its last season, Starwood grossed just over $4.6 million in ticket sales, according to Wikipedia.  Portions of the Nashville staple were demolished in the fall of 2007.  Since its closing, the venue has remained undeveloped.  There have been many proposals for the site, including plans in 2011 to bring back concerts.  No plans have come to fruition, (www.wkrn.com) .   

My final classic concert venue review is the Executive Inn in Owensboro, KY.  The Owensboro Executive Inn was a landmark in Owensboro from 1977 until November 8, 2009.  Not only did this mark the end of a concert venue, but also the end of the hotel business.  It left over 250 people without a job.  (www.14news.com) I saw several great concerts there, most notably Lonestar and Keith Urban, both when they were starting out.  I also saw Diamond Rio and countless other acts there.  I know a lot of my readers know country star Thomas Rhett.  I saw his father who was big in the ‘90’s, Rhett Akins.  This signals the end of my classic venue review.  Don’t forget to check out my podcast, Blendertainment, at the links below! 

https://open.spotify.com/show/61yTPt9wXdz37DZTbPUs16?si=w5jHghPVRmaTaP5Z...

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blendertainment/id1541097172