By Tia Lyons
Staff Writer
EL DORADO — The Dog Days of Summer are being greeted with a big “hello” in El Dorado.
The city is in store for a busy weekend, with Main Street El Dorado at the center of much of the upcoming activity.
MSE board of directors met Tuesday and sorted through a web of events that are set for Friday and Saturday, starting with a concert featuring Academy Award winner Kevin Costner and his band Modern West.
The show is slated for 7:30 p.m. Friday in the El Dorado Municipal Auditorium, 100 W. Eighth. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are $40 (Orchestra) and $35 (Parquet and Balcony). Tickets are reserved seating, and they may be purchased by calling the Main Street office at 870-862-4747 or visiting www.mainstreeteldorado.org.
Mark Givens, MSE executive director, said Tuesday that ticket sales are going well.
Holly McDonald, MSE board member and assistant, said only about two Orchestra seats remained, and the rest of the available seating was Parquet and Balcony.
Givens said additional details will be released later, including information that the auditorium parking lot will be blocked for much of the day on Friday and will be opened closer to showtime.
MSE is coming off a July 8 concert with 1980s and 90s pop/rock star Richard Marx. The show was the first to be held in the newly renovated municipal auditorium.
Though a small percentage of the work was still incomplete by July 8, MSE board members said the show and the new facility were a hit among attendees.
Crews are still working on the floor finishing in the lobby and sodding and other punch-list items outside the auditorium.
“The acoustics were great. I was a little nervous when he unplugged everything. I thought this was the real test right here, but it sounded great,” Givens said.
Board members said there were complaints about noise in the foyer interfering with the concert inside the performance hall.
“We’re going to have to keep the doors closed. It won’t be that much of an issue with a full band,” Givens said.
Of the expanded lobby, he said, “It was nice to have that all that extra space to move around.”
Online tickets sales represent nine states, including Oregon, New York and Alabama, for the Costner show.
Givens said he followed up on some of the ticket-buyers.
“Those people are actually coming from Oregon and New York. And there are some folks who came from Georgia to see Richard Marx, and they’re coming back for Kevin Costner and Modern West,” he said.
He noted that the band is performing a few dates on the tour, and El Dorado is one of about five or six stops.
MSE board president Bruce Butterfield lauded Main Street volunteers and other local citizens for showing hospitality to out-of-towners, prompting return visits to the city.
Givens said he learned that fans from Dallas and Oklahoma who sat next to each other during the Marx show have said they plan to return for the Summer Concert Series in August to see headliner Jana Kramer perform.
Board members said they are hoping that visitors who see the Costner show on Friday will remain in town on Saturday for the second installment of the concert series and Showdown at Sunset — both free events.
Showdown starts at 6 p.m. with live music, and the historic re-enactment will follow at 6:30 p.m.
The concert series will kick off at 7 p.m. with the DaShikis, a popular regional act from Memphis, followed by headliners Little Texas.
Those attending the show are encouraged to bring lawn chairs because seating is limited and is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Concessions will be sold within the concert boundaries. Those wishing to purchase beer and/or wine must be 21 years old and present a valid photo ID.
After the Little Texas performance, MSE will announce headliners for MusicFest, which is set for Oct. 14 and 15 in Downtown El Dorado.
“We’re doing what we set out to do, and that’s to promote downtown. The first week, we’re selling tickets for a show. The week of, we’re selling people on restaurants, where to stay, where to go and what to do,” McDonald said.
Board member Rodney Milam inquired about a contingency plan for the MusicFest announcement in the event of inclement weather on Saturday, and the board discussed moving activities to PJ’s or to the space that formerly housed Brush and Canvas at 211 N. Jefferson.
Givens said Brush and Canvas closed for business last week.
Butterfield also recognized sponsors for helping to make MSE events possible.
“Our sponsors are spectacular. When we send out a call and say we need their help, they step up and and answer that call,” Butterfield said.
He encouraged board members to reach out to sponsors who have made financial commitments for MusicFest and urge sponsors to go ahead and submit the pledges.
Tia Lyons may be contacted at 870-862-6611 or by email at tlyons@ eldoradonews.com.