Outdoor venue is popular with both artists, fans
Northern Quest Resort and Casino recently announced its lineup for the Pepsi Summer Concert Series and it is certainly an eclectic mix of artists.
The venue made it a 10-show summer with word on April 10 that they will bring country star Keith Urban to the facility Aug. 18. The schedule starts June 18 with seasoned rocker Alice Cooper and concludes with honky-tonker Hank Williams Jr., Sept. 15.
The schedule seems to have an act for every age and music taste.
“We work very hard to offer something for everyone – to include everyone across the region rather than target only certain segments,” Justin Kobluk, Northern Quest’s director of entertainment, wrote in an email.
“The summer concerts aren’t sold as a series where we expect the same people to go to every show, but rather each are stand-alone concerts reaching their own demographic,” he added.
How do they arrive at who will be part of the schedule? It’s a combination of both Northern Quest looking for the right act for their audiences, and booking agents trying for the right fit for their clients.
“We work with artist agents all around the country and communicate constantly,” Kobluk said. “We always need to be plugged into which artists will be going out on tour, who may be pushing a new album release, and who’s taking time off or are in studio.”
The outdoor venue lists capacity at 4,000, well under what the Spokane Arena can accommodate, but seems to serve the market with an option.
“I would love to say Northern Quest could present any artist out there, but there are certain realities about the business,” Kobluk said. “In the touring business size does matter, both in market size and the venue.”
Larger markets and venues mean larger potential paydays for the artist.
“If an artist averages more than 20,000 attendance and $1.5 million gross ticket sales (like Billy Joel in Seattle’s Safeco Field in 2016) for any one show, then our 4,000 seat venue in Spokane won’t get a sniff,” Kobluk explained.
Fortunately, there aren’t many of those “stadium-sized” artists out there, he said. “Most A-List artists can fit under 10,000 seats so we are in the game.”
Northern Quest tends to stand out in the casino crowd, Kobluck explained.
“There aren’t many comparable four-diamond/four-star resorts out there and for the artists, it definitely stands out from a world of arenas and mid-level hotels,” he said.
It’s special for music fans, too, Kobluk said.
“The outdoor venue has a large production capacity for such an intimate setting, which both the artists and fans truly love,” he explained. “It translates into an unforgettable experience. Many artists will request to stay at Northern Quest even when playing other venues in the region.”
NORTHERN QUEST CONCERT LINEUP
• Alice Cooper – June 18, $45/$55/$65
• Sammy Hagar and The Circle – June 30, $65/$75/$85
• Sublime with Rome and The Offspring – July 6, $55/$65/$85
• Donny and Marie – July 16, $55/$65/$85
• Flo Rida w/ Sky (formerly of LMFAO) – July 20, $55/$65/$75
• Toby Keith – Aug. 3, $75/$85/$105
• Willie Nelson and Family w/ Special Guest Kacey Musgraves –Aug. 8, $55/$65/$85
• Boz Scaggs and Michael McDonald – Aug. 11, $45/$55/$75
• Keith Urban – Aug. 18, $89/$109/$129 (On sale April 14)
• Hank Williams Jr. w/ Special Guest The Cadillac Three – Sept. 15, $65/$75/$85.
Purchase tickets online at http://www.northernquest.com or call the Northern Quest Box Office at (509) 481-2800 or toll-free at 877-871-6772.
Paul Delaney can be reached at pdelaney@cheneyfreepress.com.
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