Brown County Music Center photo
The Brown County Music Center opened slightly more than five years ago.
If the nonprofit Brown County Music Center were itself a performer, it’s fair to say that it might be enjoying a substantial encore.
The 2,003-seat concert venue nestled among the nearby Nashville hills at just beyond its five-year mark is averaging 1,375 people per show at an average ticket price of $56, according to its leaders. The top ticket buyer is between 45 and 65 years old.
And 40 percent of shows boast a ticket resale value of about four times more than face value, venue leaders say.
And even though it was closed during much of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has remained healthy enough to give $267,000 in profits early this year to the Brown County Auditor’s Office and the Brown County Community Foundation through management agreements with the county. Plus, a year before, the center donated more than $38,000 to the Brown County Volunteer Fire Department for new emergency radios.
As Christian Webb sees it, the venue has become a literal stage of local support far beyond the entertainment sphere.
“I’m very pleased with the center — and how the industry in general has escaped the doldrums of the pandemic,” Webb said, mentioning that the structure was closed for more than 600 days. “We realize that it’s harder than ever for people to spend their hard-earned, discretionary dollars to come to this venue, or any venue.
“The success is a work done by everyone here, even though we realize that we’re not perfect.”
He passes praise to those all around him, including the volunteer crews helping with parking, ushering and more at each event.
“I regularly say that they each of them own a few bricks of the building,” he said. “They have a remarkable pride.”
The outlet opened in August 2019 with a sold-out show from country music standout Vince Gill. It marked the five-year anniversary with two sold-out shows from country star Aaron Lewis.
Other acts with multiple sellouts include The Beach Boys and Chicago. Beach Boys’ co-founder Mike Love said in a pre-concert interview that he was impressed with place.
“We thought it was really beautiful,” said Love, who has seen his share of beautiful facilities in 60 years of touring.
Kevin Ault, president of the music center’s board, remembers Gill backstage the afternoon of his show, getting on the phone with pop star wife Amy Grant and telling her that she should book a show, which she eventually did. She performed just last month.
“It’s great to hear the artists themselves out there campaigning for you,” Ault said. “You have to remember that many of them are still discovering who we are and where we are.”
Webb sees one big advantage to the smaller venue amid major concert arenas and related outlets: not just performance intimacy, but an easy accessibility with fans. He regularly interacts with ticket buyers and takes suggestions for future acts.
“That’s one of the things I talk to patrons about the most,” he said.
One ticket buyer asked him about booking the folk sibling trio Girl Named Tom. He eventually scheduled the band members and they sold out — and are returning Nov. 21.
“With our limited size, we can’t do artists like Garth Brooks or Kid Rock,” he said, adding that many of the music center acts are those rising toward bigger audiences or older, established acts now playing smaller shows in their autumn years.
He said some of the most requested current artists are Ashley McBryde, Cody Jinx and Green Sky Bluegrass.
“And I have put out some offers on some of those artists,” he said, adding that a proximity close to areas such as Chicago, St. Louis and Cincinnati is a big plus, allowing many acts an easier fill-in date if needed.
One of the fastest-selling shows, other than the Gill opener, was for Grateful Dead founding member Bobby Weir last year. Webb mentioned that some of those tickets were resold for more than $1,000.
“It was an incredible show just to have such a legend onstage with us,” Webb said.
He acknowledged that occasionally, he has lost some potential bookings to slightly larger-sized venues such as the 2,675-seat Murat Old National Centre in Indianapolis.
“It’s a constant state of evolution,” Webb said.
Part of that evolving has been the addition 14 months ago of special VIP seating in wider chairs with to-your-seat wait service. Those seats always sell well, according to Webb. Through it all, he realizes that the music center is about more than mostly making music.
“Actually,” Webb said, “we’re ultimately about making memories.”
About the venue
Where: 200 Maple Leaf Drive in Nashville.
Built: 2019.
Seating: 2,003 capacity.
Avg. attendance: 1,375.
Schedule and information: https://www.browncountymusiccenter.com
