Majestic Concerts Plans Big Events For Area Music Scene

Three entrepreneurs are pooling decades of experience to revitalize the Northwest Arkansas music scene.

What began as a collaboration to celebrate the 79th anniversary of George’s Majestic Lounge on Dickson Street in Fayetteville has become a company called Majestic Concerts LLC.

George’s owner Brian Crowne, Dan Allen and Harold Weities brought multiple Grammy winner Bela Fleck and the Flecktones to Fayetteville’s Town Center in September and are planning a two-day Dickson Street Music Festival April 25-26 that will coincide with Springfest.

 “It’s been a long time since a local promoter had the connections and relationships that we do to help deliver quality events to Northwest Arkansas,” said Crowne, a founding member of Oreo Blue and a touring musician for 18 years.

The Dickson Street Music Festival will take place at the parking lot across from the Walton Arts Center with a stage larger than the one used at Bikes, Blues & BBQ.

When the outdoor music stops at 11 p.m., venues along Dickson will host acts and for the price of a general admission ticket Allen said will be $35 or less, attendees will be able to enter all the clubs.

Allen, whose GMS.Group has put on Bikes, Blues & BBQ for the past two years, also owns Capital C: Concerts, which books acts in New Zealand.

Allen’s company has booked Elton John, Bon Jovi and will host Ozzy Osborne and Kiss on Easter Weekend in Wellington.

Just as Allen noticed in New Zealand, Northwest Arkansas is underserved by well-connected concert promoters.

Allen’s Capital C: Concerts is booking its second act with Elton John.

“Elton John asked to come back,” Allen said. “If you can please someone of that stature of Elton John, that’s opened the door for some more people.”

Majestic Concerts has donated its services to the Komen Foundation for its “Rock the Runway” event this fall, landing country star Edwin McCain and American Idol finalist Kellie Pickler.

Not only is the group seeking to book national acts into venues like the Town Center or the Randal Tyson Track Center, it also wants to offer its services to corporations, nonprofits and Greek organizations at the University of Arkansas.

“They think they want to bring an act in but they don’t know what they’re doing,” Allen said. “Some of these companies start calling agents, and first of all, they probably won’t listen. If they do, they’ll charge more than they would someone who knows the industry.”

Weities has been a fixture on Dickson for years and is most well known for managing and booking outstanding bands into Chester’s, which has since closed to make way for martini bar Stir, a common trend around the country.

“The advent of the cell phone age and martini bar had businesses change priorities for getting people in the club,” Crowne said.

Weities has an excellent reputation with bands around the country and his artist relationships are a key component of the group, Crowne said.

The trio estimates 5,000 to 10,000 people will attend each day of the Dickson festival.

“We will blow some people away with what we pull off,” Crowne said.