'City treasure': Officials want to see more concerts at Mort Glosser Amphitheatre
The Mort Glosser Amphitheatre is a “city treasure,” according to John Moore, Gadsden’s director of economic development and governmental affairs, and there are plans to better utilize it as a music venue moving forward.
The Mayor’s Memorial Day Bash on May 27 was a strong start toward that goal, Moore said. The concert on what he described as a “perfect night” featured Eddie Montgomery of legendary country band Montgomery Gentry, as well as local performers Jenn & Mike of New Delusion and Courtney Linam and the Still Broke Band.
“The show was great; the attendance was about what we expected,” Moore said, adding that the amphitheater itself “looked fabulous” after crews spent two months preparing it and “decorating it to a T” for the event.
Those decorations included a 20-foot by 50-foot U.S. flag that was used during a “Salute to Heroes,” when first responders and military veterans were invited on stage as Amelia Tucker sang the national anthem.
Moore said Montgomery put on a dynamic show, and the singer and his entourage were impressed by the nearly 90-year-old stone amphitheater. “One of Montgomery’s band members came out behind the stage and looked out where they were going to play,” he added, “and said it was one of the coolest places he’d ever been, and one of the most unusual venues he’d played at.”
There were more amenities for fans than at previous concerts, Moore said, with multiple food trucks and bars set up in the courtyard area.
He cited Janet Tarrance, event supervisor with the Parks and Recreation Department, for her efforts in the planning and execution of the event.
The amphitheater was built in 1935 as a project of the New Deal’s Works Progress Administration and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It was designed by local architect Paul Hofferbert and constructed out of sandstone from nearby Lookout Mountain.
Originally called Legion Park Bowl, as it was owned by the American Legion, it was used as an entertainment venue for soldiers stationed at Camp Sibert during World War II, and has hosted all kinds of events, musical and otherwise, in the succeeding decades. It’s been owned by the City of Gadsden since 1986 and seats about 1,500.
It’s named for Mort Glosser, longtime band director at Gadsden High School and later superintendent of Gadsden City Schools.
The amphitheater sits next to the site of the old Gadsden Municipal Auditorium/Convention Hall, which was recently torn down. City officials have stressed since that happened that there are no plans to get rid of the venue, and Moore said, “Coming off that (May 27 concert), we want to bring it back as a music venue.”
It is again hosting the city’s Summer Concert Series, which kicked off June 2 with the American Flyers (rhythm and blues, soul and funk). The other two acts are the Bluff City Bandits (country and Southern rock) on July 7, and Radio Inc. (all genres) on Aug. 4.
Moore said the city will be working to schedule additional concerts, and there are plans to further spruce up the amphitheater, such as installing sails around the top to provide shade and converting one of the rooms into a concession stand or refreshment zone.
“I think we could make this a miniature Red Rocks,” he added, referring to the legendary outdoor venue built into a rock formation near Denver.
This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: More concerts could be in store at Gadsden's amphitheater
