A rendering of Skyline Theater in Austin, Texas.
Independent promoters Nederlander Concerts and TAG Presents LLC have entered a new partnership entitled Paragon Presents that will be headquartered in Austin, Texas, and will begin programming and producing live events in the city including events at the Skyline Theater at the Long Center scheduled to open in the spring of 2016.
“Austin has not really had this kind of core downtown venue or anything near that size,” TAG Presents President Paul Thornton said of the 7,000-plus capacity outdoor venue that will sit on the grounds of the Long Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Austin and overlook Lady Bird Lake. “A lot of acts have had to go play venues in the suburbs or multiple nights at other smaller venues downtown, but this will be right there on the river with an incredible view of Austin.”
“Austin is one of the fastest growing markets in the country,” added Alex Hodges, CEO of Nederlander Concerts. “It is a vibrant city with a strong music scene that is underserved. Paul lives in Austin and has been delivering great entertainment on major events there. He appreciates the energetic fan base and the large number of true music fans, and believes if there is any city in the country where fans can help develop a better live experience it is right there in Austin.”
The Long Center for the Performing Arts has long been known as Austin’s “Creative Home” and as a nonprofit is home to the city’s symphony, opera and ballet, as well as additional eclectic programming spanning diverse audiences. While it has for years had a strong local presence with its indoor programming, it was not until just a few years ago that the venue realized it was missing out on a golden opportunity to utilize its outdoor space to create additional year-round programming.
As president and CEO of the Long Center, Jamie Grant fully understands the untapped potential that sits outside the performing arts center.
“I got here four years ago,” he said. “I got off the plane and wanted to sneak a view in of the Long Center and the cab driver didn’t know where it was. That was sort of an omen for me. When we finally got here he said, ‘Oh, you mean that palace on the hill.’ He was referring to the fact that we’re the home of the symphony, opera and ballet. I learned quickly that we had this incredible asset outside. It’s a hill that just happened to be there and has the most incredible view of Austin.”
Until the new partnership arrived with Paragon Presents in place to begin booking, that hill spent most summer days as the home to Trailer Food Tuesdays, Bubblepalooza, Sound & Cinema and citywide watch parties for sporting events. All were free events and Grant said that some 113,000 people attended between the most recent Memorial Day and Labor Day.
“I mean, we had 5,000 people show up for Trailer Food Tuesday, which if you know anything about Austin you know it is more than just hot dogs,” Grant said. “You always have to have music, so we did that and showed a film with it called Sound & Cinema and had 5,000 to 7,000 show up.
“We developed a strategy to look at what we could do to enhance this experience and develop opportunities for paid concerts. My people know how to put on a show inside … but we’re not experts at putting on a concert outside.”
With that, the venue engaged the myriad talents of Nederlander and TAG Presents to utilize that valuable chunk of outdoor space in a way it has never been.
“This will be the type of environment where it feels like when you have a sporting event at a stadium downtown where everyone can go grab a bite, walk over to the show, go to the bars postconcert and really have a whole evening with a minifestival feel to each night we do a concert out there,” Thornton said.
Fans will help dictate the success of the Skyline Theater, which Thornton said should be the case. For management’s part, pricing will be made affordable and fan feedback important in guiding future direction.
“We’re going to have some of the lowest ticketing fees in the market,” Thornton said. “We’re going to be very conscious of concession fees. We’re really trying to look at the fan experience and not from a standpoint of what’s our stock price on Wall Street. We look at this as how it was when I started as an independent promoter 20 years ago and when Alex Hodges did and the creativity that went into that because the fans are the ones who drive this business. Without the fans there is no business.”
“We want to create a memorable experience for the fan that is focused on connecting live music with the fans’ hearts, not trying to connect to their wallets,” Hodges said. “It’s about truly listening to the fans and what they want. It’s about actually taking the fans’ ideas and collaborating with them to help develop the best experience. It’s about being bold enough to try new things, attempt new ideas, and revamp an experience. It’s really about providing a level of experience where you can truly say, ‘When I am the fan at the show, what is it I want?’ and then being able to deliver that experience.”
The venue will offer multiple flexible seating configurations with a majority being general admission. Unique VIP experiences will also be offered that allow VIP guests to enjoy a luxurious indoor lounge space, private indoor restrooms, an outdoor viewing balcony with the best site lines of the stage and the Austin skyline, and food and drink service.
“Paragon Presents will deliver a fun, festival-like feel of a general admission lawn event,” Hodges said. “We want each event to feel like a party and give people the best opportunity to get up and dance when they want to dance, mingle and socialize.”
“We not only have the incredible outdoor concert venue but we have the backstage luxury of a state-of-the-art performing arts center,” Grant said. “Putting both of those things together creates that incredible experience for artists and also for the audience. I am certain that the Paragon folks will be taking calls as we speak for artists that are looking for an exciting new opportunity in Austin.”
In a city where music abounds on just about every corner, that is no small challenge.
“The Austin market is growing like crazy,” Thornton said. “There is a lot happening here but I’ve always believed that the venue is such a key part of the overall experience as the event. When you put the right artist in the right venue, that’s what makes an evening magical and that’s really what we want to provide for people.”
Interviewed for this story: Jamie Grant, (512) 457-5103; Alex Hodges, (323) 817-6108; Paul Thornton, (512) 858-4084