The final "Fridays After Five" of the season will take place today on the Downtown Mall, marking the last event to be performed under the direction of the Charlottesville Downtown Foundation and on the current stage at the east end of the Mall.
Coran Capshaw, manager of the Dave Matthews Band and a local real estate mogul, will replace the existing stage with a 3,500 seat amphitheatre. Construction on the amphitheatre will begin in October and should be completed sometime in the spring of 2005.
The new facility will be "a substantial improvement from the existing one with a state of the art sound and lighting system, which will be covered," said Aubrey V. Watts, Jr., Charlottesville department of economic development director.
Performances, including occasional "Fridays After Five"-style events, will still occur at the east end of the Mall, Watts said.
Capshaw, proprietor of the Blue Light Grill as well as other Downtown Mall properties, agreed to a City stipulation that he must continue the Friday evening concert series, but he said he will do so with higher profile acts when the new amphitheatre opens.
The facility will be an improvement to the livelihood of the Mall, said Bob Stroh, co-chairman of the Downtown Business Association.
Many regular acts, such as "Big Ray and the Cool Cats" and the "Jimmy O. Band" said they are disappointed with the planned changes to "Fridays After Five," such as replacing local acts with national ones and potentially charging a fee to attend events, The Daily Progress reported yesterday.
Both of these bands said they were unsure about their potential involvement with the concert series under its new format.
Currently, "Fridays After Five" generates revenue through concession sales, which are distributed to local charities in turn. Capshaw has not said whether he will charge admission for future events.
Watts said Capshaw plans to continue making contributions to the charitable organizations if they wish to continue their affiliation with the concert series.
The weekly seasonal concerts first began in 1987 and were intended to boost local interest in the Mall area.
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