A Qwest For More Concerts

Boise, Idaho, used to have a concert venue that would bring in everybody from Faith Hill to Third Eye Blind to Smashing Pumpkins. It was called The Bank of America Centre, and it might be coming back.

Now called Qwest Arena, the venue was home to Bravo Entertainment shows. Now it’s filled with sports events.

General manager John Cunningham, who used to run PGE Park in Portland, Ore., is a veteran of the 6,000-capacity arena. He said the calendar emphasizes home games for the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads, the NBA Development League’s Idaho Stampede and arena football’s Boise Burn.

But there’s still room for live music.

"Our focus in recent years has been to concentrate on our sports franchises and those types of events because that’s kind of been our niche," Cunningham told Pollstar. "I’ve had some positive experiences with concerts. I thought it could be an opportunity we might be missing."

Since Cunningham returned to the 10-year-old building in January, he’s been exploring the possibilities.

"Right now, we have three musical events on the full calendar. That’s more than we’ve had in recent years," he explained. "We used to do more early on – some higher-profile acts. I’m reaching out to as many would-be users of the facility that I can."

The difference between now and 10 years ago is competition: the 13,390-capacity Taco Bell Arena at Boise State and the 13,500-capacity Idaho Center Arena.

"The one advantage, or difference, to the other venues in town like us is we’re much smaller and more intimate," Cunningham said. "And we’ve got a great location in the heart of the city. … I want to try and balance it and have a good mix to complement the existing lineup of events."

Lil’ Wayne and Evanescence are on the books.