There’s a movement going on in New Orleans, where many of the city’s crown jewel venues have sprung back to life after surviving the horror and carnage that was hurricane Katrina and then enduring the economic disaster that followed in her wake. And this aftermath was devastating to this city that thrives on tourism, where the damage to many of the Crescent City’s music venues left outsiders wondering whether they would ever recover.
Then, three years after the storm’s winds had calmed, the floodwaters subsided, and there was a chance to blossom, along came the economic turndown (some say depression) that peaked in 2008. Yet the residents held on, knowing that New Orleans would survive.
It certainly took a while, but today New Orleans has returned as a vital center of commerce and tourism. The New Orleans Saints even won the Super Bowl in 2010, and the town hosted the Super Bowl in 2013. What caught our attention recently was a virtual renaissance of newly restored, revamped venues — six total, all within a half mile radius of the city’s historic French Quarter district. (See article). Meanwhile, work continues on another major venue, the city’s Orpheum Theater, which is due to return next year.
And this re-emergence of older facilities — often long-abandoned, neglected movie palaces saved from the wrecking ball — is not a phenomenon limited to New Orleans. There have been numerous examples (and shining success stories) of this throughout the country. Among these are Atlanta’s Fox Theatre, Oakland’s Paramount Theatre of the Arts (and more recently, Fox Theater), the Warner Theater in Washington DC, the Alabama Theatre in Birmingham, the Paramount Theater (Charlottesville, VA), the Empress Theatre in Vallejo, CA, and numerous other examples. Also important to note are other projects in progress such as The Palace Theater (St. Paul, MN) and dozens more.
It Don’t Come Easy
Unfortunately, it never comes easy. Some of these projects are started by a group of well-meaning individuals who seriously underestimate the sheer amount of work and resources required for such an endeavor. Often there’s a misguided impression that “all it takes is a fresh coat of paint.” Yet in reality, these renovations typically involve serious structural work, public safety needs, electrical/plumbing/HVAC/roofing, building code updates, ADA compliance, historical adherence and of course, up to date lighting and sound systems. Once these realities set in, projects can remain in limbo for years, or even decades, such as Oakland’s Fox Theater project, which went through a string of owners, laying fallow for nearly 40 years, before re-emerging as a successful concert venue in 2009.
Some, unfortunately never make it. Years of sitting idle and unoccupied leaves buildings subject to graffiti, vandalism, theft, arson and occasionally, insurmountable damage from lack of maintenance, such as water entry from a leaky roof that leads to rotted ceiling beams, rusted structural ironwork and foundation damage.
At the same time, we have a legacy and heritage to preserve and protect these treasures from an earlier age. Typically success here comes from tapping onto funding from private, corporate and government sources. Louisiana Economic Development (LED, louisianaeconomicdevelopment.com) is a state agency that has been active in strengthening the state’s business environment and creating a more vibrant Louisiana economy, particularly in encouraging technology and the arts. LED money was instrumental in helping fund New Orleans theater revitalization, as well as other projects, such as the PreSonus’ new headquarters and research facility in Baton Rouge.
The good thing about such programs is that they actually work. Not only does the money on rehabs and new construction create jobs, but afterwards, the facilities themselves host jobs and create employment. In the case of performing arts venues, these attract both locals and tourists (both of whom spend money) and are often the catalyst for inner city redevelopment and give people a reason to visit the area, and spread the wealth to hotels, restaurants, stores and other adjacent businesses. Boarded up, abandoned and vandalized buildings are hardly an incentive for creating a revitalized downtown scene, while a theater restoration can become a major source of civic pride. Essentially, it’s a win-win-win situation.
Given that scenario, all of this leads to some very good reasons to support local projects. And it doesn’t only happen in the big cities. In fact, a theater project in a smaller town will have a proportionally greater impact on the local populace (and economy) than a similar endeavor in a big city.
That said, this month we kick off the start of summer and are already well into sound season, when contractors, installers and audio companies are in high gear, preparing for the onrush of festivals, outdoor events, rodeos, county fairs, street fairs, winery shows and more, so there should be plenty of opportunities available for audio pros.
And InfoComm (www.infocommshow.org) swings into America’s greatest city, Las Vegas this month. From all early indications, this should be a great show, with hundreds of audio exhibitors lined up (yeah, there’s also video and digital signage on display) to show the latest and hottest new technologies. If you’re in town, drop by our booth (N352) and say hello, or well see you in the Audio Demo Rooms (which open on June 17th, the day before the regular exhibits) and we’ll be walking the show floor. If you can’t make it, catch our post-show coverage (online, in print and on FOH-TV) after the expo. See you there!
Catch George’s editorial commentary at www.fohonline.com/foh-tv.
