Friday, March 31, 2017

The Gobbler Reborn: the New Gobbler Theater

Sometimes miracles do happen: the revamped and re-imagined Gobbler Theater in Johnson Creek, WI is now a popular new venue specializing in "intimate" concerts - the building's unusual circular layout must make for a one-of-a-kind entertainment experience we'd love to see firsthand. Piet Levy of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has put together a beautiful photoessay on the Gobbler, with some rare views of its past and present incarnations. Levy describes how the owners deftly "tuned" the Gobbler Theater's bookings for maximum local fan appeal:
Following a soft opening with a local school choir in December 2015, the Gobbler Theater had its first name band last April in Starship—the rock group behind the infamous, oft-maligned "We Built This City." But the venue between Milwaukee and Madison quickly and wisely switched gears to focus on country, the dominant genre in the market. Noted g[u]e[s]ts so far include Maddie & Tae, Jana Kramer and Confederate Railroad, with Lorrie Morgan, Easton Corbin and Little Texas coming up through July.
We Fans of the Gobbler certainly wish Theater owner Dan Manesis much success with his "labor of love." You can check out upcoming shows - including country stars Lorrie Morgan on April 29, and Aaron Tippin on October 13 - and purchase tickets at the official Gobbler Theater website. (Photo by Dan Zaitz for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)