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TICKETING STAR AWARDS FEBRUARY 2021 VOLUME 20 | NUMBER 2 VENUESNOW.COM

WITH THE , WINNING SPORTS AND HOT MUSIC, THIS PLACE IS BLOWING UP TAMPA GOES BOOM! C O N T E N T S N N N O C C S T T PHOTO CREDIT HERE TK E

FEBRUARY 2021 | VOLUME 20 | NUMBER 2

GETTY IMAGES SPOTLIGHTS &FEATURES 21 19 17 16 20 18 15

TICKETING STAR TICKETING AWARDS

box-office stars. Our annualsalutetotheindustry’s celebrates aTampa Bay Buccaneers score. (GettyImages) ON THECOVER: Thepirate shipinthe endzone at Raymond James Ann Bihari,D Y Airlines Center Airlines C Augusta Complex Entertainment D K and Cox Convention Center - Chesapeake Energy Arena V Nederlander Concerts Milwaukee Bucks and Fiserv Forum and AT&T Stadium ahaira Carmona, alory Dalton, ASMalory Global atie Dempsey-Fischer, anielle Pope, Spectra Venue Management - aroline Zalman, American allas Cowboys & TENNESSEE 40 36 22 36 MARKET FOCUS: TAMPA FOCUS: MARKET toward abroader reopening. fromStories theregion asitmoves they inaone-of-a-kind learned regular season.. hadfansWhich teams andwhat inthestands coziest clubs. tothe to theminors andthebiggest at Tampa-St. Pete venues from thebigleagues In theinaugural editionofthisfeature, we look THE NFL SEASON SPOTLIGHT: KENTUCKY SPOTLIGHT: regular-season game. withfansteams for inthestands every Cowboys were oneofonlyfour NFL ALONG FOR TheDallas THERIDE: FEBRUARY 2021

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4 FEBRUARY 2021 VINTAGE PERFOR- MANCE: Emmylou Harris and The Red Dirt Boys perform on- stage for “Woofstock at the Wine Garden” Nov. 10 at City Winery Nashville.

revenue, and Blackberry Smoke frontman Charlie Starr scored a $13,480 take from Outdoors an Escape his four-show stint with 315 sold tickets Dec. 16-17. Emmylou Harris appeared along with From Dark Days guest artists three different times during the fall for shows benefiting two Nashville dog rescue and adoption organizations including City Winery Nashville has a busy fall season her own nonprofit, Bonaparte’s Retreat. She played shows on Sept. 29 and 30, then re- BY BOB ALLEN turned in November, with gigs on Nov. 9 and With capacities varying between 100 and 10 followed the next week with an appearance 125 for a concert, the number of sold tickets on Nov. 16. Across the five performances, the fter the shutdown of the during that five-month span totaled 8,539, an total ticket count numbered 510 for a com- live entertainment industry last average of about 100 per show. bined gross totaling $49,300. March, creativity was the key for The first artist to appear at the Nashville Fifteen headliners played two shows at the many venues that had to find ways venue after the pandemic shutdown was venue, including two who appeared at two to ensure a safe environment for veteran singer-songwriter John Hiatt, who separate fall engagements with two shows their customers. One such venue headlined a three-show run on July 24-25 booked at each. Awas City Winery Nashville, which created with his daughter Lilly Hiatt as the opening Country music superstar Wynonna Judd an outdoor setting for their concerts during act. All three performances were sellouts, had early and late shows on both Nov. 13 the second half of 2020 by erecting a tent in with an audience of 100 for each one. The and Dec. 12. Her combined ticket count the parking lot with a temporary stage and a combined gross was $17,670 from tickets reached 500 at both appearances for a gross lowered seating capacity. priced at $55 and $75. of $29,690. “We’ve done our best to seat about 100 Another late summer event featuring a Americana artist Lucinda Williams also socially distant in that environment,” City headlining performance by Keb’ Mo’ was played on two separate occasions, first with Winery founder and CEO Michael Dorf told the event that logged the highest sold ticket shows on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 and then again Pollstar last October. “We’ve been doing count among the socially distanced shows. on Nov. 14 and 15. She moved a total of 475 shows and we’re getting up to about five a As one of three performers with a four-show tickets at both with a combined gross of week right now in Nashville. That’s been engagement, the blues artist and Nashville $30,270. working really well, actually.” resident played for 400 fans at early and Currently, City Winery Nashville has And the boxoffice data reported through late shows on Aug. 29 and 30 and grossed dates booked through November including the end of 2020 shows it. The Music City $19,780. February shows by Jorma Kaukonen and performance venue, restaurant and winery Raul Malo of The Mavericks had the Jon McLaughlin followed by many others staged 86 shows from late July to mid-De- second-highest ticket count, with 339 sold including Asleep at the Wheel, Rufus Wain- cember, when winter weather made it too seats during his four performances on Oct. wright, Shaun Cassidy, Sheila E. and Sinead cold for outdoor events. 27 and 28 that earned $20,789 in ticket O’Connor later in the year. GETTY IMAGES GETTY IMAGES

FEBRUARY 2021 43 EYES ON SWIFT: The crowd en- joys Taylor Swift’s 2015 concert at . Her 2018 show produced the highest gross ever at the sta- dium.

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when Garth Brooks performed for 76,928 LIVE! LANDMARKS fans at four concerts. His shows Oct. 28-31, 1998, racked up a gross of $1.6 million, but the value 22 years later is now $1 million more than that. Among all the events reported for the TAMPA VENUES arena during its history, however, a family show holds the record for the most tickets sold at a single engagement. A January 2017 eight-show run of the now-defunct SHINE WITH BOX- Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus produced a sold-ticket count of 81,933 to top the list. Averaging 10,242 tickets per show, the circus grossed $2.2 million on Jan. 25-29 OFFICE BOUNTY that year, just four months before the Feld Entertainment touring production closed permanently. According to the box-office n spotlighting the city of Tampa, archives, the circus claims 14 of the 17 the box-office success from live perfor- best-attended events reported at Amalie mance in all of its many forms, staged Arena. From 2000 through 2017, Ringling in its many venues, helps tell the story Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus had 108 of the city’s prolific standing as a robust shows at the Tampa venue for a ticket count back to Jan. 23, 1982, with the first reported center of live entertainment. Among of 732,978 and a gross of $15.9 million. concert, a sold-out performance by The Ithe metropolitan area’s concert Looking at success based on gross Oak Ridge Boys, occurring just over a year halls, clubs, indoor sports and entertain- earnings, ’s highest-grossing after the arena opened. The attendance ment arenas, outdoor amphitheaters and concert on record came from Ariana Grande record, though, was set by Neil Diamond stadiums, we highlight just a few of those in 2019. She played Tampa during her who performed three-show engagements facilities that help define the city’s rich nar- “Sweetener” world tour, performing on Nov. in both 1987 and 1988. Both still have the rative of live entertainment. 24 of that year and taking in $2,764,402 highest ticket counts on record, with 33,016 Looking first at the arenas, Amalie Are- from a single sold-out show. It topped an in 1988 and 32,899 the year before. The ’88 na’s box-office history includes ticket sales Oct. 19, 2005, performance by The Rolling performance grossed $602,760, which held GETTY IMAGESGETTY (X2) from events that stretch back as far as Nov. Stones by only $5,930. That concert, with the record until Sept. 14, 2012, when Elton 2, 1996, when Melissa Etheridge performed its $2.758 million gross in 2005, is valued at John topped it with $906,665 from 10,009 just two weeks after it opened. Her concert about $3.7 million today. sold seats. at the arena, then known as the Ice Palace, Another indoor arena in the city is the Tampa’s two stadiums that have been home drew 6,048 fans. 10,500-seat (formerly the to the NFL’s have both The highest attendance on record for a USF Sun Dome) at the University of South played a part in the city’s concert history by concert headliner there came two years later Florida. Its archived box-office records go hosting major headliners during their eras of

44 FEBRUARY 2021 operation. , the team’s home of 30,500. The last concert reported at the 2021 dollars). from 1976 through 1997, featured shows by venue (known as Houlihan’s Stadium in MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, such touring titans as , its final three years) was the George Strait Tampa’s outdoor concert venue, arrived on , Paul McCartney, , , Country Music Festival in its first year on the scene in the summer of 2004 and has 311 George Strait and the in the the road. The March 28, 1998, concert drew concerts stored in the box-office database. 1980s and 1990s. The first two decades of the 50,790 fans with Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, The overall number of tickets sold totals 21st century saw U2, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Lee Ann Womack and Asleep at the Wheel 3.7 million, and the total gross tops $148.5 One Direction, Ed Sheeran, Luke Bryan and also on the bill. million. Country star Luke Bryan claims the Kenny Chesney (in multiple appearances) Strait brought his country music festival top two attendance counts with 38,258 tick- draw large crowds at the current NFL venue, back the next year on March 27, 1999, and ets sold for two shows in October 2013 and Raymond James Stadium. played the first concert reported at the new 36,179 at a two-show stand in the previous U2 played multiple shows at both sta- Raymond James Stadium just six months year. Country duo Florida Georgia Line has diums but set the record for the highest after it opened the previous September. the top grosser with $1,486,592 earned at a attendance for a single event at the newer McGraw returned for that tour as well, sold-out concert on Aug. 30, 2019. venue. The group performed for 72,688 fans along with Kenny Chesney, the (then Dixie) The David A. Straz Jr. Center for the Per- at Raymond James Stadium on Oct. 9, 2009, Chicks and Jo Dee Messina among others. forming Arts which opened in the summer during the massive “360” stadium tour. The performance was attended by a sellout of 1987 has reported box-office counts for all The concert produced a $6.4 million gross crowd of 50,286. five of its performance venues, the largest of that remained the highest there until it was Chesney’s headlining dates at Raymond which is Carol Morsani Hall with a capacity surpassed by Taylor Swift’s $7.2 million haul James Stadium were in 2006, 2011-13 and of 2,610. It has logged 3,015 performances in in August 2018 during her “Reputation” 2018. His overall ticket count from those five the archives, with tickets totaling 5.6 million stadium trek. concerts was 246,777 for a combined gross and a gross of $324.7 million. Ferguson The Stones had the top attendance tally at of $22.1 million. The most successful at the Hall, with a 1,042-seat capacity, has had 582 the old stadium with a headcount of 63,415 box office was his most recent show on April shows reported with 349,264 tickets sold on Nov. 18, 1989, during the group’s “Steel 21, 2018, with 55,292 fans present and a gross and $12.2 million in sales. Wheels” tour. They also had the highest topping $6.2 million. With a capacity of 312, Jaeb Theatre has gross at Tampa Stadium with a $2.2 million , the home of Major a ticket count of 259,623 and a gross of $7.9 take ($3.9 million today) for a concert on League ’s , locat- million from 1,473 reported shows, while the Nov. 22, 1994, during the “Voodoo Lounge” ed across the bay in St. Petersburg, hosted 250-seat Teco Theatre has 63 shows in the tour. only a handful of concerts, according to archives with 9,217 tickets and a gross totaling Tampa Stadium’s first reported show was the archives. The most successful at the $147,457. The Straz Center’s smallest venue, on May 14, 1983, and featured a headlining box-office was a Feb. 24, 2000, perfor- the Shimberg Playhouse with seating for 130, performance by the Charlie Daniels Band mance by the Backstreet Boys who sold has reported 198 shows with a 25,400-ticket with Aaron Tippin and Lee Ann Womack. out the show with an attendance of 45,199 count and a $742,365 gross. Promoted by Pace Touring, it drew a crowd and a gross of $2 million ($3 million in —Bob Allen

COWBOY UP: Kenny Chesney plays Ray- mond James Stadi- um in 2012, one of his five headlining dates there. GETTY IMAGES

FEBRUARY 2021 45 wo tours delivered 13 of During the last half of the year, more than the 20 highest-grossing concerts 70,000 fans attended For King & Country’s LIVE! ROUNDUP and events reported on the final concerts. Hot Tickets of 2020. Australian Wetzel and Southall toured with an Christian music duo For King & acoustic show during their December trek, Country hit the chart with eight which included socially distanced perfor- DUOS AND Tconcerts, and Americana artists Koe mances at venues in four Texas cities — Wetzel and Read Southall scored with Dallas, Corpus Christi, and San five. Antonio — along with one in Oklahoma For King & Country’s shows came City. All five were sellouts and produced a DANCERS: as part of its “A Drummer Boy” Christ- gross of $400,190 from 7,473 total tickets. mas drive-in tour supporting a hol- The only venue outside of the U.S. iday-themed album released in late ranked on the chart is the Brolga The- October. It was a continuation of the atre in Maryborough, Australia (No. 18), LIVE DATES IN duo’s post-shutdown touring efforts in which hosted a Dec. 8 performance of “A U.S. cities, staged primarily in drive-ins Celtic Christmas” by the Aussie-based A since July. With the latest tally of Decem- Taste of Ireland. The performance was DECEMBER ber events, the group’s overall box-office one of six shows by the dance group set gross jumped to just over $3 million from in Queensland during the 2020 holiday 47 reported shows since the summer. season. — Bob Allen HOTTICKETS FEBRUARY 2021 Ranked by gross. All data based on figures supplied to Pollstar. Date range 12/1/20-12/31/20. Data updated as of Jan. 14.

TICKETS RANK GROSS EVENT VENUE SOLD PROMOTER DATE SHOWS 1 $146,115 For King & Country The MET Church Parking Lot, Houston 2,604 In-house Dec. 5 2 2 $123,675 For King & Country Ocala (Fla.) Drive-In 2,696 In-house Dec. 12 2 3 $119,315 For King & Country H-E-B Center Parking Lot, Cedar Park, Texas 2,960 In-house Dec. 6 2 4 $90,640 Koe Wetzel The Criterion, Oklahoma City 2,100 Patchwork Presents Dec. 8 1 & Read Southall 5 $83,010 Koe Wetzel Concrete Street Amphitheater, 1,439 In-house Dec. 10 1 & Read Southall Corpus Christi, Texas 6 $79,185 Koe Wetzel Cowboys Dancehall, San Antonio 1,556 In-house Dec. 12 1 & Read Southall 7 $77,950 For King & Country Silver Moon Drive-In, Lakeland, Fla. 1,720 In-house Dec. 11 1 8 $77,295 Koe Wetzel South Side Ballroom, Dallas 1,508 B-Weiss Dec. 9 1 & Read Southall Entertainment Group 9 $74,126 For King & Country Reed Arena Parking Lot, College Station, Texas 1,416 In-house Dec. 4 1 10 $70,060 Koe Wetzel White Oak Music Hall Lawn, Houston 870 In-house, Dec. 11 1 COMPILED BY [email protected] & Read Southall Pegstar Concerts 11 $68,950 For King & Country Joy Lan Drive-In, Dade City, Fla. 1,640 In-house Dec. 10 1 12 $68,225 For King & Country Parking Lot, Estero, Fla. 1,196 In-house Dec. 13 1 13 $44,400 Clutch Union Transfer, Philadelphia 1,200 In-house Dec. 31 1 14 $41,851 For King & Country Richard Borchard Fairgrounds, Robstown, Texas 1,016 In-house Dec. 3 1 15 $39,340 Maddie Poppe Gallagher Bluedorn PAC, Cedar Falls, Iowa 890 In-house Dec. 9-11 2 16 $32,568 Jorma Kaukonen The Vogel, Red Bank, N.J. 477 The Basie Presents Dec. 12-13 4 17 $32,500 Maddie Poppe Paramount Theatre, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 1,161 In-house Dec. 12 2 18 $25,521 A Taste of Ireland Brolga Theatre, Maryborough, Australia 539 Pace Live Dec. 8 1 19 $22,508 The Marcus King Band 3rd & Lindsley, Nashville, Tenn. 367 Backstage Live Dec. 4-6 3 20 $20,280 Best of the Eagles The Vogel, Red Bank, N.J. 524 The Basie Presents Dec. 26-27 4 Tribute Band

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