Red, White and Booming: Concert Grows, Ballpark Gains Stature as Venue
August 25, 2016 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Lexington Legends News Release
When the gates opened at 11 a.m. on July 2, 2011 for the first Red, White and Boom event at Whitaker Bank Ballpark in Lexington, security personnel were in place and ready for the one-day series of country music concerts.
But they didn't have a lot to do.
"We had more security people than concert-goers at that time of the day," said Andy Shea, president/CEO of the Lexington Legends, who play their home games at Whitaker Bank Ballpark.
It will be much different in 2016.
This year, for the first time, Red, White and Boom, presented by the Legends and iHeart Media, is a three-day event featuring some of country music's biggest names. It will take place September 2, 3 and 4 after the Legends' regular home season ends. Previous events had been scheduled on or near July 4, about halfway through the baseball season.
Growth of Red, White and Boom has continued, with just over 9,000 in attendance in 2011, 11,000 in 2012 and 13,000 in 2013. The 2014 two-day event brought a jump to 24,154, and last year's RWB, also two days, drew 22,419 despite bad weather on the opening night.
In its 16-year history, the ballpark has been the site of concerts by Hank Williams Jr., Maroon 5, Randy Travis and others, but the Red, White and Boom series has brought attention from around the nation, especially from within minor league baseball. In 2014, the Legends were honored for Red, White and Boom by Minor League Baseball with an award for best non-gameday promotion.
This year's RWB lineup features Jason Aldean, Eric Church, Thomas Rhett, Florida-Georgia Line, Cole Swindell and Kacey Musgraves. Granger Smith, Cam, Jon Pardi, Maren Morris, Jordan Rager and Canaan Smith are on the lineup as well. General admission tickets for the entire three-day event are $179 each, and single day general admission tickets are available for $64.50 each.
"As far we can determine, this is the biggest event of its kind ever held at a minor league ballpark," said Legends president/CEO Andy Shea. "With this lineup, the prices reflect the entertainment value of the event."
It's a return trip for Aldean, who along with Miranda Lambert, drew more than 10,000 for a concert in September 2009, the largest crowd in the history of the facility at that time.
"Having been here before, Jason Aldean is well aware of the reputation of our ballpark as a concert venue, and we're excited to have him back," Shea said.
"Andy Shea and his staff have made Whitaker Bank Ballpark a concert destination that is the envy of Minor League Baseball," said Chuck Domino, a veteran of more than 35 years in professional baseball, a former Minor League Baseball Executive of the Year (2002) and a consultant who works with the Legends and several other minor league teams. "There has been no other minor league team that has felt comfortable enough in their ability to execute something as big as Red, White and Boom. Over the past couple of years, the Legends have added some subtle and not- so-subtle elements to Whitaker Bank Ballpark that will only make it an even better venue for future concerts.
"Lexington has something special with Whitaker Bank Ballpark, and the Legends' aggressiveness in making it a concert destination should not be taken for granted," Domino added. "It's special."
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