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A NEW DAY AT THE PALLADIUM
By Eric Snider
Jan. 9, 2013
For years, the Palladium Theater on the fringes of downtown St. Petersburg served as a venue for local performing arts groups to present programs, a place where mom and dad could go see little Jennifer in a dance recital. The few concerts by touring acts often suffered from poor sound quality and—depending on time of year—woefully inadequate air conditioning.
I’m pleased to report that it’s a new day at the Palladium. The 850-capacity room’s schedule is packed.
“If an arts organization wants to come in and do something on a Monday or Wednesday, there are openings,” said Production Manager Damon Dougherty. “But that’s about it for the next three or four months.”
The slate of touring acts is surging. Several independent promoters are actively bringing shows to the Palladium. The Mahaffey and Ruth Eckerd Hall have adopted the venue as a place to present concerts too small for their flagship rooms.
And here comes another potential windfall: Eckerd Hall’s adjunct venue in downtown Clearwater, the Capitol Theater, closes in late March for a major renovation that’s scheduled to last at least six months. The Palladium is the most obvious alternative site to stage what the performing arts center calls its REH On The Road series.
REH shows already on the books at the Palladium are comedian Kathleen Madigan (Feb. 8); an absolutely terrific double bill of rock/R&B with Los Lobos and Keb’ Mo (March 1); legendary trumpeter Herb Alpert with Lani Hall (the former singer for Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66) along with breathy pop-jazz vocalist Michael Franks (March 2); smooth jazzers David Benoit and Brian Culbertson (April 18); and the veteran British prog-rock band Renaissance (April 25).
Several factors have contributed to a Palladium rebirth of sorts, which last year was designated a local historic landmark. The former First Church of Christ Scientist was completed in 1926 and dedicated in 1948 (in keeping with Christian Science tradition). Steady declines in church attendance led to the building being purchased by an arts group in 1998 and renamed the Palladium. St. Petersburg College acquired it in 2007.
The college’s stewardship has led to a steady improvement over the last five years, nothing more important than the installation of a new sound system in fall 2010.
Replacing a P.A. that Palladium Executive Director Paul Wilborn describes as “hammered together,” the new rig (by the respected brand Martin) is a digital “line array,” which hangs high above the stage and sends the sound out in proportional lines, creating a balanced listening experience throughout the room.
The Palladium space is still boomy, but a good sound engineer can now make an amplified performance clean and intimate.
Nearly as important: the Palladium has new AC. “Sometimes it’s a bit too chilly in here,” Wilborn quipped.
The Palladium still maintains its ’20s charm. The lobby is coolly retro; the seats are, shall we say, vintage (but relatively comfortable), the stage is proportionally huge, running about 70 feet from stairway to stairway, and about 40 feet deep. It gives the Palladium the versatility to play a wide variety of performing arts.
“The community programming—ballet, opera, orchestras—that’s still part of our mission, and the big stage gives us plenty of flexibility,” Wilborn says, adding that they use curtains to make the bandstand more intimate when necessary.
Wilborn is especially proud of the Side Door Cabaret, a relaxed, club-style room downstairs that can accommodate up to 200, with tables and chairs and a bar. It has a new, repositioned stage and upgraded sound system.
This Friday and Saturday, bluesman Damon Fowler, a national recording act who lives in the Bay area, and his band Southern Hospitality will play two sets a night. They’ll be joined by singer/guitarist JP Soars and Memphis pianist/singer Victor Wainwright. Tickets are a mere $13-15.
Folks, it’s time to re-experience the Palladium. The venue has become a main attraction for performing-arts-conscious people, and for grown-ups overall.
1 comment
The Side Door IS the best new place to see and hear live music performances. And with such reasonable tickets prices word WILL spread.