As summer winds down concerts start to move back indoors. What does Charlotte have to look forward to? New Kids on the Block and nine days of Disney on Ice.
Meanwhile, Janet Jackson will be in Greensboro, Madonna in ATL, and Natasha Bedingfield in virtually every US arena except the one in Uptown. It is a tad early, but I cannot find what would be considered a single blockbuster tour with plans to stop in the QC this fall.
With all the repeated statements that Bob Johnson and crew were working to book more and better acts into the building, this is more than a little disturbing. Back in January we were told that new booking agent AEG would fix this issue. We doubted then much could or would change. We were wrong. Things seem to be going in the opposite direction. As a result, the public is not getting the full benefit of the $426m. taxpayers will spend for the building.
There seems to be a default to book TV stars into the arena, “brand name” acts with probably big corporate promo budgets attached. Hence CLT gets both American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance, along with a Reba and Kelly Clarkson paring. But the Clarkson tour seems a particuarly odd fit as this outing seems to be targeting college towns — Charlottesville, State College, Little Rock, Bridgeport, Albany, Birmingham — and Charlotte? Weird.
From the looks of it, Time Warner Arena is booking on a tight budget and picking its acts from the remainder bin.
Bonus Observation: Note I am not even holding it against anyone that the greatest touring act out there right now did not not so much as sniff the Carolinas. Up the Irons!
