After 44 concerts since August 2005, the 99.9 Gator Country/Tire Kingdom Free Fall Concert Series is leaving the Landing Downtown in favor of the Arena.
Bill Reese, general manager of Renda Broadcasting Corp.’s four local stations, said the relationship with the Landing was “very good.”
“It’s a great venue but we’ve outgrown it. We can handle more people at the Arena,” he said.
Reese said moving to the Arena will allow Renda to “bring in bigger acts and give more people the opportunity to enjoy a free country concert.”
Being able to present the concerts in an air-conditioned venue “with upholstered seats” also was a factor in the decision to change venues, said Gator Country on-air personality Steve Sutton.
The fall series schedule offers concerts on three consecutive Saturday evenings, Oct. 1, 8 and 15.
Scheduled acts include two former “American Idol” finalists and a host of performers who have headlined shows and opened for some of country music’s most successful touring artists.
Three concerts are scheduled for October. Reese said the series has traditionally offered four concerts for the fall and spring series, but scheduled three dates due to availability at the Arena.
Reese said each concert will begin at 8 p.m., preceded by a family friendly outdoor festival and a Kids Zone.
He said being able to offer a more family oriented environment for the events was a consideration that led to the move and cited being able to “better control underage drinking” at the Arena.
Larry Wilson, Jacksonville general manager for SMG, which is contracted by the City to manage and operate City-owned sports and entertainment facilities, said Reese contacted him to discuss the possibility of moving the concerts to the new venue.
Those discussions led to a three-year agreement between the radio station and the City.
“We put on a variety of shows here at the Arena. We think the Gator Country Concert Series will be a really good fit for us,” he said.
With no tickets to sell, Wilson said SMG will derive its revenue from parking fees and the sale of concessions and merchandise inside the venue.
He estimated the cost to staff the facility and provide sound, lights and security for each show at $8,000-$10,000 and predicted a profit over and above costs of at least $10,000 per show.
“Based on what they did at the Landing, we’re confident we’ll come out ahead,” said Wilson.
It’s unusual for an event at the Arena to be open to the public free of charge.
SMG Assistant General Manager and Director of Marketing Robin Timothy said the only events offered at the venue free of admission charge have been hosted by religious-based organizations.
With the state of the economy, free family entertainment at a premier concert venue should be a hit with the public, she said.
Landing General Manager Janice Lowe said hosting the concert series for more than five years since soon after the radio station went on the air was “a wonderful way to welcome Gator Country to Jacksonville.”
Lowe said the Landing and its merchants paid a sponsorship fee to Renda Broadcasting and provided the sound and lighting systems for the stage as well as security.
She said it was a good investment based on the number of people the concerts brought to the Landing who became customers of the center’s restaurants and retailers.
Lowe is concerned that moving the series of free concerts to the Arena, in the sports complex away from the Downtown core, isn’t consistent with the City’s advocacy of stimulating vibrancy in the heart of Downtown.
“It’s pretty upsetting. They’re taking this event out of the core of Downtown,” said Lowe.
“It’s not like we lost (the concerts) to River City Brewing Co., but we can’t fight with SMG,” she said.
356-2466
Gator Country Free Fall Concert Series
• Oct. 1: Casey James and Hunter Hayes.
• Oct. 8: Jason Michael Carroll and Brett Eldridge.
• Oct. 15: Emerson Drive, Danny Gokey and Frankie Ballard.
For more details, visit www.999gatorcountry.com