With great skepticism, we attended one of the sessions that the Mayor is sponsoring to hear what the public wants to do with Mesker Amphitheater.  The session began with a “tour†of what remains of the historic landmark that holds a special place in the hearts of many Evansvillians.  It was very similar to visitation at a funeral home when a friend has passed on, with shared memories and a sense of melancholy.
If the tour was like viewing a corpse, the discussion held afterward was like a session with a grief counselor. Led by Lynn Miller Pease of Leadership Evansville, it felt like an exercise in futility for anyone who came there with a viable plan for making Mesker a lively outdoor venue for music and entertainment again.  Participants were encouraged to “think outside the box†and were asked not to argue amongst themselves.
Participants were given four topics of discussion, including what we wanted the site to be and how the project could be financed. The process seemly  took on the pointless, too cute by half characteristics typical of the “brainstorming†sessions Pease is known for facilitating. Instead of inviting people to publicly speak to the group, we were instructed to write or draw our ideas on Post-It-Notes and stick them on larger papers headed with the suggested topics.
There was at least one person in the group who has a great deal of technical knowledge in the field of media and entertainment production who chose to walk away from the process. Â She felt if the quest to save Mesker was legitimate, then serious input from knowledgeable individuals would be sought instead of exposing them to the dog and pony show. Â She also felt this method made it impossible to openly convey a coherent comprehensive ideas about the revitalization effort of Mesker Amphitheater.
She also wonder what would have been wrong with offering an open mic and logical discourse, instead of cutesy gibberish that can be easily dismissed. Given the opportunity, she would have suggested that the City take a look at the new “Carl Black Chevy Woods Amphitheater†in Nashville. It has no concession stands or restrooms. Port-a-johns and food trucks take their place. Dressing rooms are replaced by trailers, and band buses have convenient parking. The bulk of the money spent at Fontanel went into making it a great venue for artists, with good acoustics, state-of-the art technical hook-ups, and functional equipment loading docks. “Carl Black Chevy Woods Amphitheater†minimalist approach appears to quite successful.  Bottom line, her idea is seemly is an affordable way to save Mesker Amphitheater from the wreaking ball and is worth exploring.
Evansville is a strong market for Country and Western acts, and it has become clear that most bands prefer outdoor venues in summer. If something similar to Fontanel was done on Mesker Park Drive, the word would get out among touring acts and Evansville could again have great summer entertainment. We now know that the Ford Center is not going to attract acts that tour in the summer, so this wouldn’t really compete with it.
We hope that we will not be told that the public failed to offer a way to save Mesker Amphitheater, and that it will fall to the wrecking ball in the same way Robert’s Stadium did.
What? Lynn Pease didn’t drum up support for “collabrative thinking”? Her typical Leadership Evansville BS thinking. The Sara Daviss, Nary Durkin, Lynn Pease concept of leadership is calked “shoving it down your throat”.
Yep, this sounds like a public funeral for the Amphitheater, with the Mayor ready to lead the mourners!
The public didn’t have any input about getting penguins. The Winneckes want them, so we are getting them. We were told, not asked. If the Winneckes wanted the Amphitheater, we’d be told we are doing it, not asked about it.
I think one or both of them have a kinky thing for penguins, because they surely aren’t going to make the quality of life in Evansville any better.
I’m not sure whether you’re talking about the Winneckes or the penguins not improving the quality of life in Evansville, but you’re right either way!
They should know by now that putting a bow tie on a penguin doesn’t make it Fred Astaire. I think they tried something like that once with lloydie on dress-him-up day and it didn’t take.
‘Fontanel’s minimalist approach appears to quite successful.’
Not much room for graft with a minimalist approach.
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The Winnecke Penguins are just the tip of the … yes, the iceberg. ⬇︎
I believe Evansville now has two new equine officers patrolling and fouling our streets. Giddy-up, back to the ’30s we go. Ho ho ho.
No shit?? Mounted officers are a pile of crap for a place this size. The proper care of the horses make them as expensive as another officer. Let them walk beats or pedal bikes, or maybe spend the money on some more dogs and body armor. Winnecke needs therapy!
Fontanel Amphitheater – is that the Carl Black Chevy Woods Amphitheater?
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