Nash on the amphitheater: "Could this be a destination for huge crowds throughout the year?"

Matt Nash has written an excellent column about the Riverfront Amphitheater. Before we get to that, a wee bit of history is merited.

Way back on July 15, 2005, NAC asked a question of New Albany's then-current amphitheater administrator and the one-time leader of the Stone Deaf Band random charity benefit generator, Bob "The Devil Went Down to NABC" Trinkle.

If he's not going to use the Riverfront Amphitheater, would Bullet Bob mind if we borrowed it and made some money?

 ... Perhaps New Albany’s chronically underused Riverfront Amphitheater might benefit from new and younger blood at the helm, someone who would refrain from applying a litmus test of church supper respectability to potential entertainment functions, but instead take a chance every now and then and book the venue with music and events that appeal to the city’s younger demographic.

The Trinkle Dome is a community resource. We should try using it occasionally .

Late note: In a letter to the editor published in Thursday's Tribune, Bob Trinkle thoroughly congratulated himself for the July 4 event and duly warned us that more G-rated entertainment is to follow over Labor Day weekend. Do the math; that's more that sixty (60) days between Trinkle-sanctioned events. Can't we do better than this?

Later, there was this blog observation, dated 2007:

Now think of the chicken and the egg, and tell me: Do we chronically underutilize this amphitheater because there is little demand, or is there a perception of little demand because we chronically underutilize this facility?

There followed an uptick in amphitheater usage during the third (and dare we pray final) City Hall occupancy of Doug England, but unfortunately, this was manifested by such colossal missteps as an expensive new roof being installed without any revised site plans being considered, dueling Buffett cover bands as supposed "entertainment", and a proliferation of plaques commemorating both England and his wife.

Amphitheater freedom fighters were forced to retaliate.

We were back in 2013, discussing the Amphitheater's constant neglect in the context of drunken-sailor-level "quality of life" expenditures.

ON THE AVENUES: Looking for Quality of Life bond issue bonuses? "Pick me," says orphaned Riverfront Amphitheater.

 ... However, spending a fair amount of time at the Riverfront Amphitheater these past few years, sweating off the pounds, slinging beers, and talking to folks who venture to the riverside for events … well, there’s legitimate cause for optimism. A future-oriented plan for the Amphitheater, as accompanied by leftover farthings from the Mega Bond Issue, would seem to fit perfectly within the Gahan administration’s park-reational and artistic orientation.

Wouldn’t it?

As a side note, I was chatting with a council person last week after the meeting. He maintained that before spending money on a potentially expensive two-way street conversion, a detailed study obviously was necessary. I replied that if this was so, then why hadn't a similar study been conducted prior to the $19 million parks bond issue? He said that when it comes to things like parks, "I suppose" we must trust the veracity of potential quality of life benefits, and go from there.

This is breathtaking. By such criteria, the amphitheater's decade-long starvation not only of money, but ideas, is even more disturbing.

Matt gets it completely right in his Friday column.

NASH: Utilizing our riverfront asset, by Matt Nash (N and T)

... The amphitheater has been shown to be able to draw huge crowds and could be profitable if managed properly.

It is time that we start to utilize this asset to our community and not waste any more time letting it sit empty.