A music venue as a community resource

I just got into an online discussion about a venue in Boulder. It isn't open every night of the week. It's available for concerts, to rent for private parties, and as a movie theater. It is also the home venue for "eTown," the nationally syndicated radio show that is taped there.

The other person suggested that it is underbooked and surely the venue owners don't want that.

Personally, I'm not sure the goal is to have it open every night. By opening the venue only when there is a suitable event, the owner can keep variable costs to a minimum.

And by being primarily a music/community auditorium (with beverage service on the side and food only when it is catered) rather than a food/drink venue with music on the side, I think the result is a much better entertainment experience.

This gives some background on the Boulder Theater. "[In 1995] when it looked as though potential buyers might turn the Boulder Theater into a brew pub or pool hall or--worse still--office space, Doug Greene stepped in and paid $1.725 million for the 1,000-seat landmark, turning it into an unofficial community center that today hosts everything from concerts to debates to conferences for this Colorado city of 96,000 residents."

As you can see, the owner, who runs a variety of businesses, got it for less than $2 million about 11 years ago. There are condos going for that in downtown Boulder these days. I don't think the owner ever intended to keep the place fully booked, nor does he need to.

If you go to the Boulder Theater website, you'll see that the venue was purchased to be a resource/meeting place for the community -- not a rock club.

"New Hope Communications, purchased the theater in 1995, with plans to operate it primarily as an entertainment venue, while also bringing in non-musical and community events. Recent renovations have expanded the Boulder Theater's capabilities as a multi-use facility. It has featured top acts such as Tori Amos, Blues Traveler, Branford Marsalis and Johnny Cash, some of which have performed on E-Town, the nationally syndicated radio show that makes it's home at the theater. The versatility of the Boulder Theater makes it perfect for events ranging from meetings and conferences to live theater, private parties and concerts. Classic in design, with prime sound and an impressive tradition of the best in entertainment, the Historic Boulder Theater unites the past with the future in one exceptional space."