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A sell-out crowd packed the Uptown Amphitheatre on Saturday for the first concert at the N.C. Music Factory, a new entertainment complex on the northwest edge of uptown.
And developer Noah Lazes was keeping a list of improvements to make as he monitored operations:
Adding row numbers to the parking lot (without them, it was a monotonous maze of cars, but well-patrolled by police).
Making the sound tent more audience-friendly by flattening it and angling it to improve the view for lawn ticketholders seated behind it.
Saturday's show was the first test of operations for the Music Factory, a massive project 10 years in the making that is set to include several bars, clubs and restaurants at a final estimated cost of $40 million. The 5,000-capacity outdoor amphitheater is the first of two Live Nation-run music venues to open at the complex, set in 100-year-old textile mills, bringing thousands of people to an obscure and previously neglected area of Fourth Ward.
And while many were there to see headliners The Fray, several concertgoers said they were curious to check out the newest addition to Charlotte's live music scene.
"It's exciting, especially since it's so close," said Elisa Webb of Ballantyne, who normally attends concerts at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in north Charlotte. "It'll be even better when the bars and restaurants open and we can hang out prior to the shows."
Lazes, of ARK Group, and city leaders were most anxious to see how a newly built section of Seaboard Street handled the heavy traffic. The street is so new that some concertgoers who relied on GPS devices or Mapquest were routed the old way, crossing several railroad tracks along a deserted back road. But no other problems were spotted. A steady stream of cars stretched down Seaboard Street from Graham Street, but the line moved quickly thanks to a large number of parking attendants directing traffic.
Traffic flowed just as smoothly after the concert ended shortly before 11 p.m. Once concertgoers exited the parking lot, there was viritually no slowdown on Seaboard Street or to make the turn onto 12th street for I-277.
Parking wasn't a problem, either; 400 spots in the 2,500-capacity lot remained at 8:30 p.m., and many people walked from center city.
Most complaints centered around the high prices at the concessions stands, where beers ranged from $8-$11 and snacks such as nachos cost up to $9. One concertgoer said as he approached a beer tent," $11 for a beer? That's crazy." Concessions windows were plentiful, but the lines moved slowly with 10-15 people in each one at all times.
By 9 p.m., the lawn was a sea of people with every inch of grass claimed, leaving latecomers without a space to sit. Some improvised, setting up blankets on the paved plaza or leaning along the railing.
"Next time, I'm paying the extra money for a seat," said Kim Fore of Ballantyne, who had a lawn ticket. "There's not a bad seat in this place since it's small. It's not like Verizon," with its 18,000 capacity.
A small number of concertgoers found themselves turned away at the ticket booth after learning their tickets from a third-party vendor were invalid. They had bought them when the show was scheduled to be held at Verizon.
"I drove four hours, and now I don't get to see my favorite band," said Molly Riley of Roanoke, Va. But she and her friends were later admitted.
The show ran smoothly with seamless set changes and solid acoustics. Another plus: The sun sets behind the stage, keeping concertgoers cool and sightlines clear.
Next up for the Music Factory is the opening of the 2,000-capacity Fillmore Charlotte, a live music club also operated by Live Nation. Corey Smith plays its first show on Friday.
