Voters will decide in November on whether to allow for a one-half penny sales tax to replace the current James Brown Arena with a new 10,000 seat arena, and as a music lover and former touring musician, I support the measure.
Now, I voted against the last referendum because the entire burden was being placed on property owners in Richmond County, but the sales tax spreads that burden out to anyone who buys a soda at the convenience store.
There are actually a multitude of reasons for us to go ahead and get the new arena project rolling.
First, the current JBA was actually too small when it was built, but because of Augusta’s central location on I-20, promoters thought nothing of squeezing in an Augusta show between gigs in Atlanta and Charlotte. This is how Augusta was able to book Mötley Crüe, Hall and Oates and Reba McEntire at the peak of their fame; however, the music industry has changed drastically since the JBA opened its doors in 1979.
Artists used to receive around $2 to $3 for every LP sold, plus publishing royalties, but now they only get a fraction of that. Also, fewer people buy full length albums since they can pick and choose what songs they want to download.
Tours used to be relatively short affairs, so artists would pack in as many shows as possible even if the gig itself did not net them a million dollars because the tour stops sold more records.
With no physical records or CDs to sell, the tour itself is the artist’s bread and butter; therefore, the artists have to demand a minimum payday to make the stop, which for a small 5,000 seat venue means that ticket prices are going to be higher if the artist agrees to play.
Also, the stage technology has changed. Stages, light rigs, pyrotechnics and special effects are larger and require far more space than Nelson needed in 1988. Acts such as Taylor Swift have upwards of 10 semi-tractor trailers full of equipment and only a fraction of that can fit in the current JBA.
The rock band Queen has always been known for their dramatic light shows, and even after 50 years, that group still packs arenas. Their current show is so sophisticated that it has a hologram of the robot from the News of the World album cover reaching its arm out as if it were going to pluck up members of the audience.
There is no way that Queen’s modern rig would fit into the JBA. In fact, the group’s “crown” lighting system of the 1986 Magic Tour would likely have required drilling into the arena’s foundation for support if it could be fit in at all.
Also, as a former touring musician, I was very used to having cramped backstage dressing rooms, but I was not a rock star. National touring acts demand more than a sofa to recline on and a clothes rack for their costumes.
Unfortunately, the JBA is functionally obsolete and as the years go on, it will cost more and more just to maintain the structure.
In the early 2000s, I felt like the live music scene in Augusta was dead in the water, never to be revived. The Coliseum Authority was one of the most dysfunctional bodies that I covered as a reporter and the apex of its ineptness was the hiring of record store owner Flash Gordon, who did not know the first thing about booking national acts.
However, the current Coliseum Authority is one of the most competent bodies the city has and the management company, Spectra Experiences, has a stellar track record.
A new 10,000 seat arena would set Augusta up to be able to book everything from nostalgia acts like Pat Benatar at the Bell to those riding the current charts at the JBA.
Now, you probably won’t see this old codger at a Taylor Swift show, but should Queen + Adam Lambert come to town, I will be in the front row!
Scott Hudson is the Senior Investigative Reporter and Editorial Page Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
