The sun sets behind the Beaver Dam Amphitheater as Joe Diffie takes the stage Saturday night.[/caption]
Around 1,200 people braved the cold weather last Saturday to see four great acts open the new amphitheater at the Beaver Dam Park. In the end, most would agree the superstar of the show was the amphitheater itself.
As the bundled up crowd filed into the infield of the new amphitheater, they were greeted first by WXMZ's Jerry Wright and then WBKR's Chad Benefield. The two radio personalities were the hosts for the day, handling band introductions and mingling with the crowd.
The concert started off around 4 p.m. with the Owensboro based band, Insulated. Insulated is a southern rock band that has played in Ohio County many times. In fact, the rhythm guitar player, Brandon Crawford, a native of Beaver Dam.
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Country star Joe Diffie plays at the Beaver Dam Amphitheater on Saturday night, Oct.4.[/caption]
After Insulated finished their set, Brasher/Bogue hit the stage to play songs from their three albums. Midway through the raucous set, Andy Brasher, a graduate of Ohio County High School, invited his father, Danny, onstage to perform the Willie Nelson and Ray Charles hit, "Seven Spanish Angels" with the band. The special moment was in celebration of the elder Brasher's birthday last Sunday.
"It was great to have two bands with local ties at the inaugural concert of the theater," Beaver Dam Mayor Paul Sandefur said.
After Brasher/Bogue left the stage, Wright introduced the crowd to members of the Kentucky Pro Bass Warrior organization. This is a non-profit organization that helps wounded soldiers and veterans by taking them on free fishing trips. The Beaver Dam Tourism Commission provided passes to the organization allowing those soldiers and veterans to come out and enjoy the concert.
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Brasher/Bogue, pictured, and Insulated opened for Joe Diffie and Lonestar at the Beaver Dam Amphitheater Saturday.[/caption]
Joe Diffie came onstage around dusk and delighted the crowd by playing a collection of his hit songs. After Diffie, Lonestar wrapped up the chilly night, leaving the stage around 10 p.m.
It was obvious the crowd was impressed by the amphitheater, but according to Sandefur, all the performers were impressed as well.
"Joe Diffie was very complimentary. Lonestar and their managers went on and on about it. Their production manager is really promoting the theater," Sandefur said.
Lonestar's bus driver told Sandefur the band was expecting to be playing in a field on a flatbed truck.
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Beaver Dam-native Brandon Crawford, front-left, Drew Aud, front-right and Coty Burton of the band Insulated opened the first ever concert at the newly constructed Beaver Dam Amphitheater on Saturday, Oct.4.[/caption]
"To say (Lonestar) were surprised was an understatement," Sandefur said.
The concert was put on by the Beaver Dam Tourism Commission and it did a good job of bringing tourists to town. According to Sandefur, concertgoers came from Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and even Connecticut. Along with the out-of-state visitors, there were cars from 13 counties in the parking lot. Someone even called Beaver Dam City Hall to ask where the nearest airport was for private aircraft.
"We kept having waves of people coming and going all night," Sandefur said.
One of the out-of-town visitors was a concert promoter from Nashville who drove up to see the amphitheater.
"He, too, was impressed with the facility. He has already indicated he would like to talk with us about doing a gospel show next spring," Sandefur said.
While the driving force behind the amphitheater is to bring tourists to Beaver Dam, Sandefur spoke of an overlooked benefit of the facility.
"We had a local lady show up very early to make sure and get a handicapped parking place. Tracy (Sandefur, the mayor's wife) got to talking to her and she was so excited," Sandefur said. "She said because of health issues, she couldn't travel far and she was so thankful that we were doing something like this, here, and making it so affordable"
Sandefur was pleased with how the event turned out, especially with the cold weather, but he's also excited about the future of the amphitheater.
"The potential is unlimited. We already knew this was one the finest facilities in miles and miles and that was confirmed by Diffie and Lonestar both," Sandefur said. "We are excited about the events we can bring to Ohio County. Like I told someone earlier, we're going to do things in Beaver Dam that haven't been done in Beaver Dam before!"
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