HoB To Manage New Grand Rapids Venue

Greg Gilmore’s 20 Monroe Live, already under-construction in downtown Grand Rapids, will be managed by Live Nation’s House of Blues Entertainment division and located across from Van Andel Arena and connected to The B.O.B., an entertainment complex owned by the Gilmore Collection. Owners and management are playing up the venue’s flexible capacity as a major draw for acts passing through the region.

A moveable stage and scalable seating will allow for shows of 1,200 to 2,200, and the space, when combined with the connected beer garden and alleyway, would allow for festivals and private or corporate events for up to 4,000, HoB President Ron Bension said. HoB is also touting the venue’s “state-of-the-art sound, lights and production capabilities.”

Once 20 Monroe Live is added, the complex will include multiple restaurants, a nightclub, multiple party rooms and a comedy club.

Gilmore said it aims to be “a one-stop experience to bring the community together.”

Grand Rapids is in a prime location to attract talent booked for Chicago and Detroit, Bension said, and the new facilities will create a space previously lacking in Michigan’s second-largest city.

“We feel this is a tremendous opportunity to grow, and this venue can host more types of entertainment than there is available in the market right now,” Bension said. HoB is already starting the process of booking the Monroe Live’s first performances, which should be in January or February.