IMAC Reopens As Paramount

The former Inter-Media Arts Center in Huntington, N.Y., shuttered since 2009, held its grand reopening as the 1,555-capacity Paramount Theatre Sept. 30 with Elvis Costello & The Imposters.

The partnership that purchased the venue, which includes industry veteran Brian Doyle, invested more than $5 million in restoring the historic building, according to the Long Island Press. Live Nation is booking the facility.

The upgrades bring the facility back to its late 1920s vaudeville theatre motif and amenities were added with touring acts and patrons in mind.

Doyle said the venue’s stage, with state-of-the-art sound and lighting, can accommodate acts big and small.

“It’s large enough that if a headliner comes in with two opening acts, we can set up everyone’s gear simultaneously on the stage and not have to worry about swapping set-ups in and between sets,” Doyle told the Press.

Backstage renovations include adding a freight elevator, widening the loading dock and roomy dressing rooms with showers and a kitchen area.

For concertgoers, there’s a VIP lounge in the balcony, a members-only “Founders Room” with a separate entrance, a general admission floor and excellent sightlines.

“You’re going to have a musical experience where you’re going to say, ‘I can’t believe this’ and you’re going to see sightlines that will make you say, ‘I just can’t believe they thought of everything,’” Doyle explained.

Doyle said he envisions bringing in a variety of acts for about 200 shows annually.

Live Nation’s Christian McKnight told the paper the Paramount’s size offers an alternative in a market that includes small clubs up to the 13,855-capacity Nikon at Jones Beach Amphitheater in Wantaugh and 17,000-capacity Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale.

Concerts on the books through early December include “Weird Al” Yankovic, NOFX and Anti-Flag, Willie Nelson, Pixies, Goo Goo Dolls, Anthrax and Testament and Reel Big Fish.