The Jackson Amphitheater held its first performance Friday evening to a large crowd.
Between 750 to 1000 people turned out for the concert. Ash Bowers headlined the evening with both Striking Matches and Abbie Bayless also performing.
There was a lot of planning that went into the outdoor venue. Katie Pace, executive director for Jackson Downtown Development, told us that this has been on the books since around 2009.
“It’s always been a thought,” Pace explains. “We didn’t know where to put it, but it actually started going into more of an aggressive planning stage when Jackson Walk started moving their dirt over here.”
Pace says it’s exciting to see all of the work draw out such a large audience. “It’s always good, because we get a lot of feedback sometimes of ‘Oh, that’ll never happen.’ I heard it with the Jackson Walk, I heard it with the Amphitheater, I heard it with some other things that are going on downtown. So, it’s always good to say ‘Ha! Told you so. It worked.’”
“We’re very proud,” Pace continued, “I will tell you what’s most amazing about this: so many people have come out to support this and none of this would be possible if people didn’t want it and ask for it. We’re very excited that it’s here.”
This was the first performance of 11 scheduled shows at the Jackson Amphitheater. The shows will continue into October. The shows will vary in genre and many of the acts are local.
