The Northwest Georgia Bank Amphitheatre in Ringgold is getting attention from some big customers.
At its last meeting, the Catoosa County Commission entered into an agreement with Chattanooga group Friends of the Festival, which heads Riverbend, and radio network iHeartRadio to bring a concert to the amphitheater Sept. 2. The concert will be completely funded by the two organizations, with zero cost to the county.
Friends of the Festival Executive Director Chip Baker said the group is always looking for more opportunities to bring live music and entertainment to the region. Talks about using Catoosa's amphitheater for a large concert started a little under two years ago.
The venue opened in 2007 but hasn't seen much use. Last summer, the county's Parks and Recreation Department, which runs the 3,500-seat amphitheater, hosted a series of free summer concerts meant to boost the venue's exposure within the community.
"We think it's a great venue with a lot of opportunity, and we're excited to be partnered with the county and iHeartRadio for this," said Baker. "We're three very different organizations, but I think we all want to see that amphitheater utilized."
There aren't any details yet about potential performers yet, but Baker told commissioners that iHeartRadio has ties and connections with major country artists. The iHeartRadio Music Festival, held just outside of Las Vegas each September, last year brought in notable rock stars including Ariana Grande, Drake, Britney Spears, Billy Idol, OneRepublic, Sia, Cage The Elephant, Tears For Fears, U2, Sting, Usher and the Backstreet Boys.
"We want to help further our community, which isn't just Chattanooga. We consider the whole of the Tennessee Valley our community, so that includes North Georgia," Baker said.
Katie Sponberger, economic development coordinator for Catoosa County, said if the concert goes well, it will be a good sign that regular outdoor concerts at the amphitheater could be viable.
Previously, Sponberger said, the amphitheater has hosted acts like folk-pop singer Colbie Caillat and iconic country group Charlie Daniels Band, but they haven't had an opportunity for a large concert series in some time.
"It's definitely underutilized," Sponberger said of the space.