Summer 2011 is fast approaching, and for the second time in two years one summer staple will be sorely missed. Raleigh’s Downtown Live concert series, which began in the summer of 2005, was held in Moore Square Park. Famous acts including Saving Abel, Better than Ezra, Everclear, Candlebox, Puddle of Mudd, Joan Jett and even Charlie Daniels Band have all performed pro bono to the delight of thousands of music fans. Unfortunately, with the opening of the Raleigh Amphitheater in 2010, Downtown Live posed a risk; free summer concerts could certainly hinder sales of bigger Live Nation events nearby.
The concert series was the product of cooperation between artist management and record label Deep South Entertainment and the city of Raleigh. Without the city’s support, funding and interest in replacing Downtown Live dwindled. Any hope that Downtown Live would return after a brief hiatus is gradually slipping away, as more and more evidence of the once celebrated concert series fades away. The series’ website is now defunct, in some cases redirecting to Deep South Entertainment’s website.
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