In the past, use of the entire stage area was prohibited, because the two support poles that held up the tent were in the middle of the stage. Now, personnel can use the entire area.
The video walls on the sides of the stage will be larger, and there will be a large video wall at the back of the stage.
“We have an expanded lineup with 21 shows, and through generous donations from the community, we were able to purchase a bigger video wall that fits the scale of the new roof and the stage,” said Helms.
Those who donated to the venue’s LED video wall and panels include James K. and Susan A. Fitton, Andrew and Colleen Schuster, Frank and Joanne Pfirman, Jack and Karen Whalen, Matandy Steel and Metal Products, Wilks Insurance Agency, Hamilton Community Foundation and Hamilton Central Business Special Improvement District.
“The generosity and philanthropy of the folks in Hamilton make Hamilton such a unique place. I don’t know that you would see that anywhere else, but it really speaks to the generosity of the community, and also, to the impact that RiversEdge has made on the community. We are eternally grateful for the support we’ve received from those folks and all of our sponsors.”
The cost of the LED video screen was about $100,000. The video walls display sponsor logos, and during the show, the concert is projected on the video screens.
“If we would have used the video screens that we’ve been using the past several years, under the new roof, it would have looked like a couple of cell phone screens dangling from the roof, because that roof is so big,” Helms said.
The panels for the new video screens just came in, so the crew is going to try to have them ready for the first show, but there’s a lot of work that goes into putting them together.
The stage was previously about 20x20 feet, and with the addition of the new roof, it has been expanded to 35x35 feet. Now, there’s approximately a few hundred more square feet of stage area.
“The way we’ve reconfigured the support columns for the roof, gives us a lot more functionality, and it will make things smoother for the bands and the production crew, allowing us to do some expanded programming,” Helms said.
And the lights shows will be better now.
“Sometimes, when the touring bands come in, they travel with their own stage production, lights and props. In the past, we could never accommodate touring productions, because we were limited by what we could do on stage. But now, we can hang up other band’s lights. and that should better position Hamilton to be able to accommodate bigger artists touring productions in the future,” Helms said.
Previously, access to the bike ramp at RiversEdge had to be shut down temporarily to prepare for each concert. With the expansion of the concrete path next to the stage, access to the bike ramp should remain open.
MORE DETAILS
RiversEdge summer concert series will kick off May 31 with Little Texas and special guest 90 Proof Twang. The concert season will continue through Sept. 27 as Signs of Life: The American Pink Floyd closes the season.
More online: riversedgelive.com
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