Shedding In 2005

The first shed that Pace Concerts built, Nashville’s Starwood Amphitheatre, is celebrating its 20th anniversary by offering a lot of customer-friendly changes this season. Could it be a harbinger for changes at other sheds under the Clear Channel umbrella?

Pace recently announced the summer at the 17,200-capacity Starwood would include the following changes: A concert-goer will be able to bring a picnic basket of food into the venue, as long as the utensils are plastic, and each ticket-holder will be allowed one unopened bottle of water.

Likewise, the first 500 lawn chairs will be available for free on a first-come, first-served basis. Concession prices will be chopped (“We want you to remember our rocking bands, not the $10 you paid for nachos,” the press release says). That includes $5 beers.

Starwood is also donating 20 cents per ticket to local charities.

Concerts scheduled include Alan Jackson, 3 Doors Down, Dave Matthews Band, and Mötley Crüe.

Pace is part of the Clear Channel Entertainment family, and CCE Global Music prexy Michael Rapino has said the company’s sheds will see a lot of changes this summer. It’s not known how much Starwood’s changes reflect what may be happening across the country.

Clear Channel was expected to release information at press time on across-the-board changes.

Rapino has stated that CCE is looking at $20 lawn tickets this summer and a policy of allowing blankets into the lawn area.