Seth Hurwitz Gets Chicken

The owner and promoter of Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Md., unveiled June 1 more than $1 million in improvements to the amphitheatre grounds, including pinball machines and a giant chicken.

The 19,316-capacity amphitheatre now has a new food facility, a “Music Pinball Hall of Fame Arcade,” three times more restrooms, new sculptures and a concession building with a grass roof.

The pinball tables are rock ‘n’ roll-themed, with KISS, Rolling Stones, Guns N’ Roses and Dolly Parton motifs. The amphitheatre grounds, which already contain sculptures, now include a 7,500-pound chicken made from farm equipment that was slated for the scrap heap. The new concession building, as part of the venue’s efforts to go green, is LEED-compliant and has a roof of live grass that collects water and avoids runoff, according to a statement.

The Pavilion, which reopened six years ago, is owned by General Growth Properties and is operated, programmed and promoted by I.M.P. and Seth Hurwitz.

On a related note, the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., which is also run by I.M.P., recently announced it was adding cupcakes to its menus – but not just any cupcakes. The dessert has been designed by Josh Short, executive pastry chef of Buzz in Alexandria, Va., and I.M.P. says it’s been taste-testing the product for more than a year.