Arkansas Music Pavilion to move for 2012 season (Updated)

FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas Music Pavilion, owned by the Walton Arts Center, will carry out its 2012 concert season at the Washington County Fairgrounds, with the option to stay longer if needed.

Musician and nightclub owner Brian Crowne booked the AMP's first concert, The Doobie Brothers, seven years ago, shortly after the venue went up in the back parking lot of the Northwest Arkansas Mall. By the time the Walton Arts Center bought it in February of 2011, the venue had a reputation for drawing big-name acts, such as The Black Crowes, the Beach Boys and Lyle Lovett.

The arts center has architectural plans to revamp the AMP and make it a more permanent fixture, but negotiations stalled after the mall property changed hands in August. With no more time to waste, WAC officials announced Tuesday that the AMP would relocate to the fairgrounds, located at the crossroads of Interstate 540 and Arkansas 112. Crowne has already booked the AMP’s first show, the electronica band Big Gigantic, for April 21. A couple of May dates are in the works, he said.

“We have some quality talent in the pipeline,” said Crowne, general manager of the AMP. “They include shows beyond what you would have been able to see at the AMP at the mall.”

Amp seating at the mall was limited to 3,500 because of the amount of lawn space. At the fairgrounds, the AMP will be able to hold up to about 5,000 concertgoers.

The agreement with the fairgrounds is a one-year agreement with an option for a one-year renewal at the end of the term. The AMP will pay the fairgrounds a fee based on the number of patrons who attend a concert. The typical season consists of 12 to 15 shows. The arts center would not release revenue figures for the year it operated the AMP at the mall.

The fairgrounds, which is also the home to the Washington County Fair and a new venue for the annual Bikes, Blues & BBQ festival, features several critical components, such as ample parking, a sloped lawn, proximity to the Interstate-540 corridor and the necessary infrastructure including access to power and water.

“There are still a lot of details to be worked out, but in the short and long term, there will be a lot of positives come out of it,” Kendall Pendergraft, president of the Washington County Fair Association, said Tuesday.

The long-term benefits of having the AMP at the fairgrounds — even if for a year — “re-familiarizing the public with where the fairgrounds are located,” Pendergraft said.

The $4 million long-term renovation project for the new AMP will continue, said Terri Trotter, chief operating officer for the Walton Arts Center. The mall is still an option, though other sites have now come under consideration. The Fayetteville Advertising & Promotions Commission voted last year to dedicate $500,000 of hotel, motel and restaurant (HMR) tax proceeds toward remodeling the AMP, though an initial installment of $250,000 was withheld in December because the mall site had not yet been secured.

Maudie Schmidt, president of the commission, said the group remains committed to its contribution when a permanent location is found.

Meanwhile, tickets for Big Gigantic will go on sale Friday, Feb. 3. Link here for more ticket info.

“I’m just happy we had a place to land this year,” Crowne said.