2019)
photo: Joe Del Tufo
www.nola.com
by: Doug MacCash
Willie Nelson, Gucci Mane, the Avett Brothers, and other stars are headed to New Orleans in 2019, where they’ll perform at the new second-floor nightclub at Harrah’s Casino. Inspired by San Francisco’s fabled hippie-era Fillmore theater, the new Fillmore New Orleans venue is set to open with a pair of shows by the Foo Fighters on Feb. 15-16 (both shows are already sold out).
The 2,200-capacity club will be operated by the Live Nation music production company. In a June interview, Live Nation chief operating officer for theaters and clubs Ben Weeden. Explained that though New Orleans has similarly sized venues, such as the Saenger Theater (which has a 2600 seat capacity) and the Mahalia Jackson Theater (which has room for 2,243), they are sit-down theaters that don’t provide the wide-open dance floor experience some traveling bands and music fans seek.
Weeden said that New Orleans sometimes loses out on shows that hop across the country because there’s no space available. The Fillmore New Orleans is meant to fill that void. Weeden also pointed out that Live Nation produces shows of all sizes in New Orleans, from 300-fan concerts at the House of Blues, which they operate, to occasional mega tours at the Superdome. Adding their own mid-sized venue completes the company’s “vertical integration” ladder.
Here’s the rest of the upcoming lineup:
- Feb. 19 – Duran Duran
- Feb. 21 – Blackberry Smoke
- Feb. 22 – Gucci Mane
- Feb. 25 – Cypress Hill / Hollywood Undead
- Feb. 27 – Willie Nelson
- March 1 – Dropkick Murphys
- March 4 – Steel Panther
- March 15 – The Avett Brothers
- March 16 – The Avett Brothers
- March 19 – Nothing More and Of Mice And Men
- March 29 – Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit
- April 5 – STS9
- April 6 – STS9
- April 19 – Chevelle
- April 26 – The Disco Biscuits
- April 27 – The Disco Biscuits
- May 10 – Garbage