Promoters promise big-name acts for summer shows at the Downs
SCARBOROUGH — Some big names, including Bob Dylan, Miranda
Lambert and Willie Nelson, may take the stage this summer at Scarborough Downs.
Waterfront Concerts, which has staged A-list
shows in Bangor for the past three years, is expanding into southern Maine,
with up to five shows coming this summer to Scarborough Downs.
Last week, the Town Council approved “between
one and five” mass gathering permits for dates yet to be determined. Although
the permits are largely open-ended, the council urged Waterfront president Alex
Gray to not attempt any Sunday evening shows, based on complaints about noise
following the Downs’ first attempt at a major concert last July, featuring Brad
Paisley.
“Although
the days and times were not conditions of the approval, I think they heard the
message from the council last night,” said Police Chief Robert Moulton Thursday
morning, adding that he and Fire Chief Michael Thurlow will monitor compliance.
Both chiefs recommended issuance of the permits after checking on Gray with
their peers in Bangor.
Performers and show times are not final, Gray
said, because he could not secure commitments without an initial OK from the
town. However, a list of “hold dates” was given to the council. These include
country star Miranda Lambert on Friday, July 27; the all-day WCYY-FM Oxxfest on
Friday, Aug. 10; some combination of alternative rockers Train, Matt Carney and
Demi Lovato on Friday, Aug. 24; and, on Saturday, Sept. 1, the Rockstar Energy
Drink Mayhem Festival, currently touring with metal bands Slipknot, Slayer,
Motorhead and Anthrax in its lineup.
Another possibility, although listed with the
symbol “????” appended to it, is a show featuring Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson and
Leon Russell.
“We’ve had discussion with these acts, with
their management and their agents,” said Gray. “They are holding dates for us.
The routing works. They are in the region. They would like to play the state of
Maine. [Permit] approval would give us the ability to take this further and
chase those acts down.”
For Scarborough Downs, the deal gives a harness
racing track with a recent history of declining fortunes a chance to find the
money denied by repeated voter refusal to allow its transformation into a
racino.
“I don’t think this is going to generate the
same revenue as the slot would have, but it is a revenue source that we are
looking to, to diversify, the same as any business needs to,” said Stephen
Cobbett, director of operations at the Downs, on Thursday.
Cobbett declined to divulge details of
Scarborough Downs’ deal with Waterfront Concerts, saying Gray plans to issue a
press release Friday. However, both men have said the agreement is exclusive,
meaning no other promoter can stage a show at the track, and that it involves
Waterfront Concerts building permanent staging and infrastructure on site.
Gray said this season will be a test case for
staging as many as 12-15 concerts at Scarborough Downs in future years, and
that he intends to start small.
“We’re not going to come in and drop 15,000
people on Scarborough right at the bat,” he said. “Honestly, these shows will
be on a smaller scale because, currently, Scarborough doesn’t have enough
parking to do what Bangor can do.”
A parking plan submitted by Gray shows room for
1,259 vehicles. Scarborough’s mass gathering ordinance limits attendance to 3.5
people per vehicle, limiting shows to 4,406
concertgoers.
Gray said if things work out in Scarborough, his
company may eventually alternate his headline acts, to play Bangor one year and
Scarborough the next.
Meanwhile, Cobbett declined to say if the Downs
might continue to pursue gambling as a revenue stream, in light of the concert
deal.
“That’s a question above my pay grade,” he said,
adding that no one above his pay grade was available for comment Thursday.
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