Modest Mouse. ZZ Top. Blue Oyster Cult.
Not a rocker? Ok, how about some comedy, art, or inspiration?
Michael Blackson. Rickey Smiley. Nick Cave.
No? Looking for something family friendly then, right?
Blue Man Group! Star Trek Symphony Orchestra? Tyler Perry’s Madea On The Run. PEPPA PIG!
STILL NO?
What about:
Diana. Freaking. Ross.
If you’re interest isn’t piqued by now, the only thing I can offer is some epinephrine. (Get it? Because your heart has clearly stopped.)
You might think that I pulled those names from the event calendar for Madison Square Garden, Rockefeller Center, or even the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans.
But, nope. That’s the schedule for Shreveport’s own Municipal Auditorium. And that’s just the next few months.
If you’re like us Heliopolisers (say that three times fast), you might have noticed as you scrolled through your Facebook news feed that the Municipal has had some major coups lately with regards to the names being booked and brought to Shreveport.
By the time we saw the umpteenth amazing artist announced, we had had enough – we had to know why.
I called Sam Voisin, Regional Vice President of SMG, and Erika Roberts, Director of Sales and Marketing, and asked them what the heck was going on over there.
Helio: You guys have really taken it up a notch lately. What’s changed?
Voisin: The Municipal. We couldn’t host big events before because the building wasn’t up to the caliber required! Shreveport allowed us $5 million dollars in improvements with tax credits so that we could bring it up to par. The building in our opinion is now ready to host events and artists that weren’t going to come before.You can also have a peek at this web-site to avail services as it can enhance the view of home.
Helio: So literally, if you build it, they will come?
Roberts: [laughs] We had no running hot water. An artist couldn’t take a shower if he or she wanted to. Now we have the creature comforts to offer them when they come!
Helio: Tell me about SMG. What is it, and why is it important to Shreveport?
Voisin: SMG is a worldwide management group that holds 2 million seats in the industry: 125 arenas, 4 NFL stadiums, and 66 theatres. We’re an international company and the largest of what we do, which gives us some leverage. If you’re an artist or manager, that’s one phone call for all those venues.
Helio: Dang!
Voisin: [laughs] It’s pretty great!
Roberts: Agreed!
(Background on this dynamic duo: Voisin got started in his hometown of Lafayette as the Director of Sales for the Cajundome. A Shreveportian for the last 8 years, he now is the Regional Vice President, managing 17 different buildings in 9 different cities. Roberts, who has been in the Port City most of her life, came to SMG 6 years ago from Harrah’s and is now Director of Sales and Marketing.)
Helio: So, the hot water turned on, and now we’re flooded with amazing talent?!
Voisin: Yes! Jack White was one of the first acts post-renovations, and it went incredibly well. We got Joe Bonamassa to play his first time ever in Shreveport, and he’ll be able to come back.
Roberts: And we’ve got a little something for everyone! Our genres are all over the map, which is good. We’ve got Peppa Pig one night and ZZ Top another. Robert Plant is coming and he loves to play historic buildings, being a music historian himself.
Helio: I always forget how rich a history we have here with the Municipal Auditorium. Every time I go and see the displays, I’m like – oh yeah! ELVIS!
Voisin: Absolutely. The Louisiana Hayride was born here. Elvis left this building. Jimi Hendrix played here. Paul McCartney knows about the Municipal – one of his most prized possessions is an upright bass from Bill Black’s family that backed Elvis at the Louisiana Hayride!
Helio: Are we getting a Beatle?!
Voisin: You never know! Keith Richards from the Rolling Stones knows this building, James Burton, of course– the list goes on.
Roberts: I recently met with a lot of agents just educating them about the Municipal and its history. A lot of artists will do a one-off show here just because this is where Elvis played and where legends were made. It puts us on the map in a whole different way. Jack White is a huge Elvis fan, and we would not have gotten him if it weren’t for the history of the venue.
With the humility and grace of someone who truly loves Shreveport, throughout the interview Voisin was persistent in mentioning how integral the community was in making the Municipal Makeover happen: “These people get it. Shelly Ragle from SPAR (Shreveport Public Assembly and Recreation), leadership from SRAC (Shreveport Regional Arts Council) – we all communicate with each other.”
Roberts added, “It’s a team effort. We’re expanding horizons. We look forward to more and more people coming out and supporting the downtown local economy. It also creates foot traffic to support additional development.”
Helio: Gah! This is all so amazing! So what can we do? What’s the one thing you would ask of Shreveport?
Voisin: A successful track record builds success. Artists want to know in advance that they’re going to have a successful show. Buy your tickets – and buy them early!
CAN DO.
For more information, visit shreveportmunicipalauditorium.com – and do it stat!
For more on SMG, visit smgworld.com