14
Vail Mountaineer
Saturday, April 11, 2009
STREETBEAT
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[From page 1]
Moudy said. “The energy is great, and people (want to forget) that the economy is crappy.” Estimated crowds of 3,000 or so attended the free concerts at Golden Peak for Taj Mahal on March 19 and for John Brown’s Body in Vail Village on March 25. That free concert model also will be used for the first time this year at Spring Back to Vail on Friday with crooner Chris Isaak and on April 19 with the pop band O.A.R., Of a Revolution. “It’s a good way to give back to the community and our guests,” Liz Biebl, a spokeswoman for Vail Resorts, said about the free concerts and other events planned for Spring Back to Vail. Paid concerts and other events have been cordoned off in the Ford Park parking lot in the past, Biebl pointed out. Headliner concerts this year will be set up on Meadow Drive near International Bridge in front of the unfinished Solaris project. “These will be fun, because they’ll take place in the Village, not off in the parking lot,” Biebl said. “The model has changed to be more participatory and easier for people to access.” A big name act can cost up to $30,000, say the people who book those big names. “It’s not a cheap,” says Mike Kloser, who books concerts at Beaver Creek. “It’s more expensive than people realize to book these acts. I’m excited to hear it’s a free concert as well because I really like to see these guys, and the fact that it’s free is all the better.” Spring Back to Vail Outdoor musical events also have become more popular over the years as other music venues closed — there are currently no indoor venues large enough to handle large events, Moudy said. Summer Bravo! festival events, mostly classical music and dance, draw the largest summer crowds to the Ford Amphitheater. Spring Back to Vail starts Monday. Other end-of-season entertainment includes nightly parties, the ever-popular World Pond Skimming Championships, the Breitling All Mountain Film Competition, an “Epic Lounge” and ECO Village.