CLOSE Two new venues could bring in shows Des Moines had previously been missing out on.

Buy Photo Fans cheer as Cold War Kids performs during Hinterland on Friday, Aug. 5, 2016, in St. Charles. A new outdoor amphitheater in Des Moines could bring in events the size of Hinterland, which drew thousands to St. Charles. (Photo: Bryon Houlgrave/The Register)Buy Photo

Every year, Des Moines sees major touring acts with the potential to perform in the capital city cruise down the highway, past central Iowa, heading instead toward other mid-sized Midwestern cities.

Well-known acts like Florence and the Machine, Primus, Arcade Fire and The Avett Brothers all could have played Des Moines in recent summers if the right size venue was available, said Sam Summers, owner of First Fleet Concerts, a concert promotion company that books shows across the region.

With two new planned venues, that could change, propelling Des Moines forward with its ability to attract the acts that pull in the thousands, while positioning the city as a regional entertainment destination for locals and visitors alike.

The venues are:

The proposed Riverview Park amphitheater in Des Moines’ Highland Park neighborhood, set to hold up to 10,000 people.

The proposed Water Works Park amphitheater, set to hold up to 25,000 people.

“This just opens up the doors to bigger and better shows, making Iowa less of a flyover and drive-through state,” said Dan Green, a Des Moines-based promoter who manages 515 Alive Music Festival, an electronic and hip-hop event that drew 16,000 people over two days to downtown Des Moines in 2016.

Venues in Des Moines attract acts that pull small-to-mid-size audiences — like at Wooly’s in the East Village, which hits capacity at roughly 675, or Seven Flags Events Center, which holds roughly 3,000. Wells Fargo Arena brings in major touring acts, like Green Day and Carrie Underwood, with a capacity to hold about 14,000 people.

These new venues could attract nationally-recognized acts that fit the in-between: attracting more than the capacity at Seven Flags, but not quite fitting into an arena. Outdoor venues of this size prove attractive to musicians who are traveling to large festivals — such as Lollapalooza in Chicago and Summerfest in Milwaukee — and want to play a warm-up gig along the way. In the past, these shows have gone to cities like Omaha or Kansas City.

The venues would continue enhancing the quality of entertainment in the region, said Greg Edwards, president of the Greater Des Moines Convention & Visitors Bureau. Edwards said the bureau conducted a study in 2015 that concluded festivals and events are one of the top five reasons people visit Des Moines.

"People ask me all the time: 'What is the next big thing that Des Moines needs?' I think there’s several things you could talk about but this would fall at the top," Edwards said. "You look at events like 80/35 (an annual downtown Des Moines music festival) and 515 Alive ... they’re huge draws for the area. It really makes Des Moines a cool place to live. These added venues will enhance that."

Look to neighboring venues such as The Starlight Theater in Kansas City and The Pinewood Bowl Theater in Lincoln for examples of the talent a mid-sized venue could attract, said Josh Hunt, co-owner of Lawrence, Kan.-based concert promotion company Mammoth Live. Starlight hosted The Cure and Pinewood brought in Bob Dylan in June.

Hunt said, if executed properly, he could see Mammoth working with the proposed Des Moines venues to bring shows as illuminating as Bob Dylan and Mumford & Sons. Summers also listed Pinewood as an example for what a Des Moines calendar could hold.

“The calendar over (at Pinewood) has been incredible. And that’s the stuff I think we can do (in Des Moines),” Hunt said.

Pinewood, which began its concert series in 2012, gives promoters the opportunity to bring shows to Lincoln that would otherwise miss the city ... and the series continues to grow, said Tom Lorenz, general manager of Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln.

The series, which featured acts like Dylan, Ringo Starr and Twenty One Pilots last summer, brought an estimated 35,000 to the amphitheater in 2016.

"Pinewood Bowl has allowed us to reach out to some acts that maybe aren’t large enough to play Pinnacle Bank Arena but are certainly touring for the summer," Lorenz said. "A lot of tours are geared specifically to outdoor venues."

What this means for Nitefall on the River

The growth in venue options could mean a temporary dip in business for existing spaces, Summers said. But he expects, over time, the boost the new venues bring would lift the talent brought to every venue.

He acknowledges Nitefall on the River — the annual downtown outdoor concert series at Simon Estes Amphitheater and Brenton Skating Plaza that Summers helps run, which reaches a sellout at roughly 1,800 people — may be one entity impacted by a new venue. Either Riverview or Water Works would provide an outdoor experience, like Nitefall, only with more elaborate show production and potentially bigger names.

A few shows that have taken place with Nitefall in the past would go to a new amphitheater, Summers said. He cited Brandi Carlile, who sold out her Nitefall show last summer, as an example of an artist ready to move up in the market.

The venues could provide a space for former 80/35 or Hinterland (an outdoor festival based in St. Charles) main stage acts to return for a follow-up performance.

“Over time … (this is) what you’re building up: The more people who go out to concerts, the more concerts (happen), the more people are happy,” Summers said. “Overall we’ll get back to a place where it’s a net positive for everybody.”

One city, two venues

The proposed Water Works venue has raised $6 million of its $9 million goal and expects to reach its goal in early 2017, said Sam Carrell, executive director of the Water Works Park Foundation. The venue could be open in 2018 and host a full season of entertainment in 2019.

The proposed Riverview project could reach the $1 million it needs to break ground by the end of the year, said Matt McCoy, a state senator helping project fundraising. Construction could start as soon as the ground thaws in 2017 and the venue could open in 2018. Riverview aims to raise $3 million total to service the entire park.

Both venue project organizers said they’re close to announcing naming rights. Neither said they think the market is too small and both organizers said the spaces could complement each other. The venues would sit roughly 5 miles apart.

Programming for both venues plans to extend beyond music. Each wants to explore the option of hosting theater, symphony and cultural festivals. McCoy — alongside planning partners Bill Thompson of the Parks Area Foundation and Jack Daugherty of the Parks Area Foundation — hope to also develop winter events.



“This works better if it’s busy … a lot,” McCoy said. “(If) we can bring in more groups and have more activity it’s going to help the whole thing be more successful.”

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