Unlock Secrets to Attracting Major Music Acts to Amarillo Again

It used to be a bustling scene here in Amarillo. One where thousands of people would gather to smile, drink, and just enjoy good times. As time went on though, the gatherings became fewer, and those attending those gatherings became fewer.

Now, what used to be Amarillo's bustling music scene is that of a shadow or past memory.

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It's a question that has been asked by many, and even recently. I knew moving here from Austin, the self-anointed music capital of the world, that I'd be seeing far fewer concerts, but I never imagined it would be THIS fewer.

What happened to all the concerts we used to have?
byu/trashedcleft inamarillo

As you see from the post, big name bands used to roll through Amarillo on their tours, but now it's full of what we call one-offs and that typically doesn't bring the biggest current names in music through.

Many point to the fact that we simply don't have a venue that can hold the amount of people needed by these artists, and those people aren't wrong. The biggest indoor place we have is the Cal Farley Coliseum, which holds approximately 5,000 people for a concert.

Outside of that? We've got some nice outdoor facilities like Starlight Ranch which can hold around 2,500 people, and the new Lumberyard in Canyon which has the ability to hold over 10,000 people.

The issue with the outdoor venues? You can only hold events in the warmer months of the year, taking out many opportunities for fall and winter shows. Early spring in the panhandle is no picnic either.

Awhile back, there was a bond put in front of voters that would improve the Civic Center, and presumably the coliseum, to better serve functions like concerts and potentially other events. However, that bond failed (and for good reason) and we were left in the musical rut we've been in.

Will we ever be able to pull the big names through here again? Well yes, but it's going to take a venue big enough to hold them. Lubbock has the United Supermarkets Arena where they can hold 15,000+, and that's why you see more concerts rolling through there.

Can, and would, Amarillo support building a venue like that? Imagine the possibilities. Concerts, conventions, exhibition games for Texas Tech potentially. The question is, could it ever happen? That question remains to be answered.