KSHB 41 reporter Marlon Martinez covers Platte and Clay counties in Missouri. Share your story idea with Marlon.
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A new outdoor music venue is set to open in the Northland this summer, promising to shake up the live music scene in Kansas City.
Construction has been underway for months on the new Morton Amphitheater in Riverside. City leaders say the project will bring more big-name acts to the Northland.
"Kansas City was underserved for outdoor amphitheaters and so we really wanted to be in the market and bring shows that have been bypassing the market for years," John Ahrens executive vice president Blueprint Studio Live Nation said.
I toured Morton Amphitheater last Friday and saw how massive the space is from both a fan and artist perspective. Designers of the project promise to make it the go-to outdoor venue.
"I think people are going to be surprised. I think people have a preconceived idea of what amphitheaters and venues are and I think this is totally going to blow their minds," a project leader said.
Over at Starlight, a venue that has been a summer destination for decades, leaders say they are not falling behind. Starlight President Lindsey Rod-Clifford said their size is what makes them special.
"I can describe we're kind of like a really sweet mid size for concerts. There's clearly arenas like T-Mobile. There's new amphitheaters and amphitheaters that are twice our size, but we really have a sweet spot where it feels people often describe it as intimate," Rod-Clifford said.
Starlight has already announced over 20 shows for the summer.
"I think it means that we have to continue to be attentive to what's happening within the ecosystem. Again, I think because of our size, because of what we do, because we don't do just one thing. We're really set up uniquely in that way," Rod-Clifford said.
"You can't find another Amphitheater in this country that's doing a Broadway series, a concert series and the kind of community programming that we do, and I think audiences, once they understand that, that makes them have a different kind of relationship with what we do, but we have to continue to deliver," Rod-Clifford said.
Both Morton Amphitheater and existing venues like Starlight are operated by LiveNation, making the competition a matter of which acts get booked at each location.
The bigger picture is that the Kansas City music scene is set to change.
"I think it’s going to change the landscape of all types of artists coming through here. Very diverse lineup of artists coming through and some of the biggest names as you can see and I think it’s going to continue for years to come," a project leader said.
Starlight is set to go through major renovations, adding covered seating next year. Morton Amphitheater is still on track to open this summer.
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