Happy Birthday Deer Creek!!!

A look back….

May 20, 1989

SANDI PATTY

Deer Creek Music Center

Noblesville, IN

THE FIRST SHOW AT DEER CREEK

And so it begins….and now its year 35!

As Sunshine Promotions was beginning to build Deer Creek starting in the summer of 1988, we also began the process to book the first season. Believe it or not, it was a hard sell to entertainers, managers and booking agents as people were skeptical if the venue would be open on time or concerned that there could be construction delays. Amphitheaters were very new at this time and had not made the impact that they have now. This was long before everyone had email so at times we had to send construction pictures and progress reports to booking agents to solidify that we would be ready to open in mid to late May 1989, and we were!

I have written about this in the past as our goal was to have a Hoosier artist perform the first show at Deer Creek and Sandi Patti was the perfect artist in many ways. Many people don’t realize that Sandi has won many Grammy Awards during her vast career, Her show production was very simplistic in that it had basic sound and lights. Her crew were top professionals and very easy going. There was no drama with the artist and the crew, and we appreciated that.

Her fans and audience were very laid back and didn’t cause any problems. Yes we had beer available at the concession stands that night but didn’t sell much. This was definitely not a drinking crowd!

This show sold approximately 6,000 tickets and we parked roughly 2,500 cars. The show was easy to manage at all levels including operations, parking, crowd management, concessions, ticketing, and production. We were overwhelmed with local and regional media, and we received quite favorable reviews and press. It was a sunny day and clear night and the temperature hovered around 72 degrees all day and night. Also important, the artist did not micromanage us and that was key.

Billy Crockett opened the show so technically he was the first artist to perform a public show on the stage at Deer Creek. Billy performed as a solo singer and played the acoustic guitar. This led into a wonderful set by Sandi Patti and her band. The audience loved the show, and we knew that we were onto something special.

I will always consider this to be one of the most important shows in the history of Deer Creek Music Center as it was the first. It is fascinating to think about all of the great experiences that happened at Deer Creek. There were many dates, marriages and children born as a result of shows at the venue. There were several employees who met and got married and that was enjoyable. Many lives were impacted, and many others made a living as part of the overall team. It was a thrill to see people grow in their careers perhaps from going on tour or being promoted. Just think, an intern from the early 90’s is now a high-ranking official with Live Nation and a former parking lot attendant from that same time is now a regional executive over the midwest outdoor venues for Live Nation. I couldn't be more proud of the great jobs by Karl Adams and Andrew Newport and I would be remiss if I didnt mention that Marc Elfenbaum is one of the best Promoter Production Managers in the world!

The venue is now entering its 35th year and hopefully it will last for many more years!

Please let me know if you attended the show or if you had seen Sandi Patti in the past as well as your experience.

Are you looking to book entertainment? If so, please contact me.