Southwest Florida Occasion Heart is reopening its doorways in Bonita Springs, two years after closing throughout the top of the pandemic. And a few large acts are coming, beginning with a serious live performance on March 25.
The house owners of the live performance venue introduced the information Wednesday with a information launch posted on Fb.
“We’re very excited. I’m excited!” co-owner Jennifer Shanahan informed The Information-Press and the Naples Each day Information. “We shall be reopening with an much more intimate venue.
“We have now gotten rid of 200 seats, however we shall be bringing in the identical expertise — and even greater — in that small setting.”
The 27,000-square-foot venue formally reopens for the March 25 live performance, Shanahan mentioned. They’ll announce the musical artist later.
Beforehand:Southwest Florida Occasion Heart closes completely in Bonita Springs over coronavirus, business issues
Extra main artists will observe, she mentioned.
“I’m able to open with some fantastic, superb expertise that’s selectively chosen for the necessity within the space,” she mentioned. “The large names, we may have.”
The Bonita Seaside Street venue closed its doorways in Might 2020, citing issues over the way forward for the music business throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. It had been closed briefly since mid-March as a consequence of social distancing and Florida’s stay-at-home order.
“It’s unhappy,” Shanahan mentioned in 2020. “I’m fully devastated due to the blood, sweat, and tears Richard and I’ve put into that factor. However we had a tremendous run!”
The middle first opened in June 2016 in a renovated Eckerd drug retailer at 11515 Bonita Seaside Street SE in Bonita Springs. Present house owners Richard and Jennifer Shanahan took over the enterprise the next summer time.
The venue attracted many well-known musical acts in its 4 years, together with Mavis Staples, Melissa Etheridge, John Waite, George Clinton, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Kellie Pickler, Three Canine Night time, Ted Nugent, Crystal Gayle, Amy Grant, Jefferson Starship, Maxi Priest, Steve Earle, The Wailers and Don McLean.
Now Shanahan mentioned she’s trying ahead to selecting up the place they left off — with a number of modifications. They’ve scaled down the variety of seats to 438, for instance. They usually’ll possible have fewer musical artists packed into every month, a minimum of to start with.
“So there gained’t be 14 days straight!” she mentioned and laughed. “We have now achieved some restructuring and reevaluating. We’re going to return to exhibits on probably a lesser frequency after we first open.
“That’s partially to get a deal with and a sense of our buyer base, and likewise to verify we now have expertise that matches within the venue, too.”
They’re additionally feeling higher about the way forward for the business, she mentioned. Musical acts are touring once more, vaccines are available, and most venues have reopened to often-packed audiences.
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That’s a giant change from Might 2020, when the long run appeared bleak for the music business. “There was no finish in sight,” Shanahan mentioned. “That’s why, for the foreseeable future, we shut our doorways.”
Now they really feel way more assured now concerning the music business.
“I imagine that the artists are able to get on the market,” Shanahan mentioned, “and I believe that there’s a want for our patrons to listen to music once more.”
Lots of their prospects had been upset to see the place shut in 2020, she mentioned. “The responses after we shut down and the non-public letters that had been despatched by means of snail mail had been heartwrenching and exquisite and appreciative.”
Now persons are able to get again to a traditional life — or as regular as issues could be throughout a pandemic. And music can assist with that, Shanahan mentioned.
“Music, I believe, is one factor that’s going to bridge these gaps and convey us again collectively,” she mentioned. “I’ve at all times mentioned that about music, that it brings everybody collectively in some capability. And I believe that is one thing that all of us want.”
Right here’s the whole lot of the middle’s Wednesday information launch:
Southwest Florida Occasion Heart is re-opening. The thrilling information comes on the heels of intensive restructuring and constructive modifications for the patrons and artists alike. All through the break within the music, the SW Florida Occasion Heart has not wavered in its mission; to convey an intimate venue with extraordinary worldwide expertise to Southwest Florida.
When Covid-19 closed the venue in 2020, our main purpose was to look out for our ticket holders; this view has not modified. Upon re-opening, SWFL Occasion Heart will accommodate 200 much less patrons per present. The Occasion Heart is targeted on bringing even greater expertise with much more private expertise. As well as, the SWFL Occasion Heart shall be teaming with native culinary expertise to offer the best eating expertise.
The final two years have been troublesome to be away from the hustle of the live performance and occasion enterprise. Appreciable time has been spent evaluating the challenges of the business transferring into 2022. Security shall be our primary precedence for all.
We at all times believed in “chasing unicorns”; greater expertise probably not match for a venue our dimension. The time has come to start out chasing unicorns once more. We’re able to embrace our loyal patrons who’ve inspired us to convey the music again to life in SW Florida. We have now been lucky to welcome Melissa Etheridge, Amy Grant, Mavis Staples, Robert Cray, America, Three Canine Night time, Kenny Wayne Shepherd. We’ll work arduous to welcome them again.
We hope to as soon as once more be a venue of selection for weddings, non-public occasions, enterprise conferences, and fundraisers. Thanks, Southwest Florida, for welcoming us again.
Let’s rock n’ roll!
Sincerely,
Jennifer and Richard Shanahan
Study extra about Southwest Florida Occasion Heart at fb.com/swflec.
Join with this reporter: Charles Runnells is an arts and leisure reporter for The Information-Press and the Naples Each day Information. E mail him at [email protected] or join on Fb (fb.com/charles.runnells.7), Twitter (@charlesrunnells) and Instagram (@crunnells1).
