Between the Fillmore and Birchmere, the Fillmore is the better deal. Here’s why…
By Silver Springer • Oct 4th, 2007 • Category: Arts, Food and Entertainment, Business and Economic Development, Government and Politics, Real Estate
Keeping an optimistic attitude, I’m going to make some lemonade with some so called lemons. After some digging, several points actually reveal that the Fillmore is a good deal for Silver Spring, Â
 Exclusivity. When all is said and done (if they go as planned), there will be three Birchmere venues in the D.C. area but only one Fillmore (hopefully). This is a high advantage to Silver Spring, Montgomery County and the State of Maryland. It speaks volumes that out of all the areas that are considered “desirable†by conditioned locals of our “fair†region, Silver Spring was selected by an outside entity. This is an entity that doesn’t wear those slanted local bifocals and stepped in rather quickly after the Birchmere fallout.
Sorry baby boomers but this venue is intended to speak to all demographics not an exclusive few that live outside the Central Business District. We will also get comedy acts and community space. While we’re on the subject a recent Gazette article, quoted resident Ken Davis saying
“he was less concerned with the economics involved than what an up to 2,000-person club meant for a neighborhood he said was heavily made up of ‘‘baby boomers.â€.
To the contrary Mr. Davis, the Fillmore will reside in the Silver Spring Central Business District, a high density urban area with high-rises and a population that is predominantly and increasingly made up of young adults and teenagers. You may also find it frightening that the suburban neighborhoods of Silver Spring; with their single family and townhomes also have teenagers and young adults living in them, oh my! You have to be concerned with the economics involved, if not it’s simply will get you an unfeasible result. The same attitude responsible for the mess that was Silver Spring from 60’s up until the late 90’s. Does Mr. Davis speak for everybody?
Silver Spring is already too family friendly, DJ Thursday, Single Saturdays and even Oktoberfest are no where to be found in downtown. But you can find Harry Potter, kids night at Chick Fillet and all sorts of venues for parents to take their kids to so they can get their faces painted. I have money to spend on the weekend, unfortunately Silver Spring doesn’t speak to me. We only have Gallery Restaurant and Coconut Lounge to quench our thirst. Ever notice the crowds of the hip and cool taking the metro into D.C. for a good time? Bethesda and Arlington have managed to create a critical mass bar/club scene without making local news headlines. Do we want to be like that or have a night out at the local TGI Fridays like they do in Tysons Corner, Va? Thankfully Fillmore will at the least mitigate this somewhat.
How many ways can you cut Michael Bolton? A “no-talent ass clown” according to the Singular but highly acclaimed at the Birchmere. There are only so many days in a year and even less when you consider how many days an act will play in an area. Do folks really think Birchmere management will be able to obtain 3 different performers on the same day to cater to three different venues? Good luck!
Cry all you want about the Fillmore being the child of a large corporate entity but they got the deep pockets that the Birchmere guys don’t. This is evidenced by the $2 million up front instead $1 million from the Birchmere management, Fillmore, I’m sure could drop more.  With a Birchmere planned for College Park and another for Loudon County, Va, can Birchmere management handle this? One can’t help but get a whiff of something financially unstable with the Birchmere group, their increased demands and fall out with Montgomery County after Loudon got involved indicates shaky ground somewhere. After forty years with only one venue, they expect to open two almost at the same time.
In concept a music hall in College Park is nice but lets be real, the Birchmere doesn’t fit there. And dare I say it? The Fillmore would have made more sense in College Park with young adults and college students. I wouldn’t be shocked to see more College Park students patronizing the Fillmore in Silver Spring than the Birchmere in their own backyard.
Agreed, the Fillmore is a better fit.
Wowzer. The first thoroughly made arguement I’ve read about why the Fillmore isn’t bad. Makes sense.
The County got screwed bigtime by Ike. The last thing Silver Spring needs is more poor, roudy, obnoxious teenagers running on the streets of Silver Spring all night. Ike has lost all sense in the original intent of the project to boost economic development by ENCHANCING the quality of life, not creating a venue for some loser kids to drink, smoke drugs, and have sex. No one is going to want to live in a million dollar condo on top of such horror. That’s why they put it across from public housing (Montgomery Arms).
Poor? Obviously you haven’t seen ticket prices lately.
Yes, and only teenagers go to concerts, too…
I think both will offer good entertainment. I’m not so sure that the Birchmere in College Park will be all that bad. It will be run by the University which means the students will have a say in who performs there. Also, there will be a stage for local acts. I’m happy the Birchmere is coming to College Park. Not because of any prestige or lack thereof. But because it is a place to go to hear good music. It is better than nothing. It is better than listend to a band in a bar or restaurant. As far as the financial stability of the owners of the Birchmere, I’m sure the student population in College Park will be enough to at least sustain that one. Perhaps teh others will fail. If the Birchmere is yanked due to the owners financial troubles, I’m sure LiveNation wouldn’t mind stepping in. Or some other venue. If you build it, they will come. Living in Adelphi, I’ll have the best of both worlds. Fine by me.
We could get Larry Clark to film the “loser kids, drinking & smoking, and having sex”, and he can call it “Kids II, silver- Spring Break”. Then the people who don’t want to see it in 3D can go in the AFI Silver and see it in 2D. Twilight Zone.
Methinks both are business people and both would have (will) market to wherever they can make money. If the masses of late-20’s folk in downtown SS are the ones coming to the shows, then fillmore is gonna have those tables in storage from day 1. If they find they can get more business out of the baby-boomer-woodside-based dinner crowd, then that’s that they’ll market to. Hopefully they’ll find it’s an even split and do a lot of both.
Hahaha… poor rowdy obnoxious teens… thats funny. Even watched the line outside the 9:30 club? It’s rich white suburban kids in Shaw…. its very funny. And thats not to say I’m never one of thsoe, cause a few times a year I am. And it’s across from montgomery arms because… uhm… that’s where there’s a big empty building! That’s the most ridiculous bit of horse-crap I’ve ever read. Downtown SS is a wonderfully diverse community, culturally and economically… and “Anonymously” is an ignorant hillbillie.
And Montgomery Arms isn’t a piece of crap anymore.
It was completely renovated about 2 years ago. It may look the same to the casual observer because there were no changes allowed to the exterior because it’s on the SS historic register. The casement replacement windows alone must have cost a fortune to manufacture to modern specifications with the exact appearance of the originals.
Fear and stereotypes have driven the arguement against the Fillmore. Hopefully this post puts that to rest.
Great blog and article. Really well articulated and thought out. Thank you for this perspective.
Actually, the last thing Silver Spring needs is more elitists like “anonymously.” Go live in a McMansion in Potomac if you are so scared of those rowdy teenagers with their rock music and baggy jeans. It sounded like C. Montgomery Burns posted that comment.