MUSIC
LIVE MUSIC IS BACK!
A Slate of Family-Friendly Shows will Rock The Fred’s 2021 Concert Season
BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH
T
HIS SUMMER, MUSIC’S greatest hits will fill the air again at the Frederick J Brown, Jr. Amphitheater. Voted “Best Music Venue” in 2018 and 2019 by INsite readers, “The Fred” is one of Georgia’s favorite live music showcases. This year, a slate of tribute acts will be featured, blending state-of-the-art production values with quality, family-friendly performances for fans of all ages. With a history that spans over forty years, the Peachtree City arena has hosted many of the world’s legendary performers, from oldies to opera. Known as The Fred since 1991, in honor of former Peachtree City Mayor Frederick Brown Jr., the popular attraction features table, theater and lawn seats. Since 2018, the 2,500-seat location has partnered with PTR, a joint venture of Atlantabased companies - Premier Events, RCS Productions and Ticket Alternative. INsite recently spoke with Stephen Moore of RCS to discuss the Fred’s innovative new 2021 season and the perils of the pandemic. It’s been a hectic year for everyone. We’ve never seen anything like it. For RCS productions, in March of 2020 we were expecting our best year ever. We were coming
PG 4 • May 2021 • insiteatlanta.com
tops. So it’s getting harder to see and hear these songs in the live setting. If you’ve got a reasonable representation, people will support it by coming out, having a good time and enjoying the entire experience with a massive library of hits.
People come for the hits and the whole communal atmosphere the live show can offer. Absolutely. We do shows for a number of municipalities all around the area. They’re all very different but the one thing they have in common is people love Georgia Players Guild Presents “Georgia Rhythm – Hits from Georgia Artists” & Tribute – The Music of the Allman Brothers Band on July 10 to come together to enjoy music with their friends and family. These parks, bandshells or the from an incredibly strong 2019, and most of board with that, which was fantastic. It helps more proper amphitheaters like The Fred, allow the events that we were implementing were all to keep everyone’s reputations solid within people that opportunity. They don’t have to set and ready to go. I think we had 200 or so the industry. drive long distances to see a quality show and events on the books and we ended up actually enjoy a quality night out. executing eleven of them. So it was quite a 2020 was a depressing time, but when things shock. Basically, that meant our business finally open again, the live concert industry is Now that we’ve been so isolated, that was down 94 percent. There were four of us going to explode. community spirit is more important now working full-time in January of last year and we That’s the idea. I think the first experiment than ever. Visiting The Fred, for example, is spent March and April moving shows to the we had with that was down at The Fred. like seeing a big show in someone’s backyard, fall. Then we spent May moving shows to 2021. Our management team met with the city because it actually is in a neighborhood. The After that, it got very, very quiet. We cut down in December and there was willingness to big sheds don’t offer that same sort of small to two people and we were basically working do something good in 2021. By January, the town charm. one to three hours a day. But we came up with decision was made to put up some shows that There’s definitely a place for the big venues. what’s called mutually agreeable dates for we knew we could complete. They’re able to host the big touring shows but shows in the future. Most of our clients were on you’re right, the hometown vibe of The Fred, So that became the announced schedule for for example, is hard to beat. Most of the shows The Fred. we do for municipalities are free and whole That’s right. That’s how we came up with families come out for a night out together. the ten shows that have been announced so And because of that, we are careful to make far. They’re all popular tribute shows and they sure it’s a family-friendly event, all around. seem to make the most sense when you’re going from 2,500 seats down to 900. Often those shows are a kid’s introduction to the live scene. The demand for tickets was impressive, from It’s truly heartwarming to see families what I heard. sharing the experience of live music. I’ve got Absolutely. We sold out six shows in one a great picture from one of the shows we did day! Now, eight of the ten are sold out. People in Woodstock. I don’t even remember which are ready to come out and buy tickets for a responsible music experience. That’s what we’re show it was but the picture captured such a sweet moment. Two dads had their kids up going to deliver - not on their shoulders, only at The Fred but I took the picture for all of our clients. from behind them. But what really got Audiences really to me was that the love the tribute dads were loving the shows. show, but these kids They really do. The were just having a shows have gotten ball, too. That’s what bigger and bigger it’s all about. Families and that’s forced the come out, mom and tribute bands to get dad probably grew better and better up with the music with incredible and now they’re production values introducing their to their shows. Most own kids to the songs of them are touring Whot’s That Girl – The Ultimate Diva with a pretty nice Experience will play on August 7. that meant so much to them. It makes production package, for an unforgettable whether it’s video experience. But that’s the beauty of live or special lighting packages. It’s not just any music. It brings people together and creates a band standing up there on a stage, these are moment. I’m glad to see that it’s coming back. fully produced shows, featuring a variety of It’s like a visit with an old friend, so I urge artists and an impressively comprehensive set people to come on out, have a safe, fun time of hits. The market has definitely evolved and and get re-acquainted with something we all people really enjoy the results and it’s all about took for granted. the music. They are playing the greatest hits of these artists and it’s a good way to hear this The Fred is located at 201 McIntosh Trail music played live. Some of the original artists in Peachtree City. For more information, visit are getting up there in age and sometimes they amphitheater.org, or call 770-631-0630. don’t want to play 120 shows a year. Some of them are down to 30 or 40 shows a year,
