Bob Dylan playing reopening night of The Met Philadelphia
The Met Philadelphia is almost done undergoing renovations, and it will finally reopen on December 3 with a concert from the legendary Bob Dylan. Here's more via Philadelphia Inquirer:
The $56 million renovation of the Met, which occupies an entire city block at Broad and Poplar, is nearly complete, and the 3,500-capacity venue, which was once the largest theater of its kind in the world, is scheduled to open in December.
On Monday, city officials, concert promoters, real estate developers, and four members of the Opera Company of Philadelphia singing "God Bless America" gathered under the crystal chandelier in the main lobby of the former home of the ministry of evangelist Father Divine to celebrate the revival of the concert hall up the street and tout its potential economic impact on North Philadelphia.
[...] "This music venue will help continue the revitalization of North Broad Street," Mayor Kenney said at the event, which was emceed by WDAS deejay Patty Jackson. "This is a great way to return a historic building which was once an opera house to productive use. You can't help but be musical in North Philadelphia. There's a lot of soul in North Philly, and it's all going to permeate that building."
The Met is jointly owned by developer Eric Blumenfeld and the Holy Ghost Headquarters Church, the most recent occupant of the building, whose history includes boxing matches, basketball games, and classical performances, as well as serving as a recording studio of sorts for the Philadelphia Orchestra.
The grand venue will be leased and operated by concert promotion company Live Nation, which said the venue, which can be adjusted to hold between 2,200 and 3,500 concertgoers, would provide 275 to 350 part-time jobs per show, with performances likely to average eight a month. Local Live Nation chief Geoff Gordon stressed that the Met will present acts in a variety of genres. "We want everybody to come. That's why PnB Rock is on there, that's why [old-school R&B singer] Charlie Wilson is on there. That's why the comedy is on there."
After the Bob Dylan show, the venue will host Weezer, Ween, PnB Rock, Kurt Vile, John Oliver, Jim Gaffigan, and more. Check out the schedule, as it currently stands, below. Tickets for the newly-added shows go on sale Friday (9/14), and some shows are already on sale.
For Bob Dylan, that show happens a couple weeks after the other Northeast shows on his 2018 tour.
The Met Philadelphia -- 2018/2019 Schedule
Dec. 3: Bob Dylan
Dec. 12: Weezer
Dec. 14: Ween
Dec. 18: Lindsey Sterling
Dec. 22: WDAS Holiday Jam
Dec. 28: PnB Rock
Dec. 29: Kurt Vile & the Violators
Dec. 30-31: John Oliver
Jan. 11: Greensky Bluegrass
Jan. 19: Impractical Jokers starring the Tenderloins
Feb. 9: Jim Gaffigan
Feb. 24: Scott Bradlee's Post-Modern Jukebox
March 9: James Bay & his Electric Light Tour*
April 6: Amos Lee with Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia
April 27: Brian Regan
June 14: Derek Hough*
*Previously announced