Page 40 - The Peorian, Vol 3 Issue 2
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He also believes it will help put
Peoria on the touring map and
will provide more opportunities
for struggling bands.
Birch believes there is a fine
line between how many national
acts it can host and how many
local bands it can provide a
venue for. This is due to the
nature of Limelight.
The business is not open seven
or even six days a week. It is open
for events, and it does not want
to risk losing a great national act
by booking a small show too far
in advance, Birch says.
If a show wants to book three
or so weeks in advance, though,
Limelight can do that, Birch
added.
Limelight was, however, built
with musicians and music lovers
in mind, Birch confirmed. Even
with it being standing room
only, the balcony and the tall
stage mean there will not be a
bad place in the house to see the
show.
Restrooms, located directly
below the balcony, will be easy to
get in and out of so people do not
miss much of the show.
Finally, a lot of money was
invested into the acoustics of
the concert hall to make sure
everything sounds good.
The trio is willing to bring
in other types of entertainment
like comedians and events like
ones held recently in the area
where people dressed up as their
favorite character from the film
“The Big Lebowski” (1998) and
went to see the movie.
“We’re very fortunate that
because of the size of the facility
that there’s a place for us in the
local licensing code that allows
for us to be an all-ages venue,”
Birch said. “We have the same
license as the Civic Center does
and that really opens us up to a
broad spectrum of talent that we
can bring in[to] this place and
serve a lighter market-base by
being able to do that.”
For more information about
upcoming Limelight shows and
events, visit limelighteventplex.
com, its Facebook page at
facebook.com/limelighteventplex
or call (309) 693-1234.
The recent news that the
Madison Theatre might be
renovated is not worrying the
three business owners. Birch’s
gut tells him there is a place
for both venues. The Madison
is clearly a theater and some
performers will prefer that, Birch
says. Others will prefer the club
atmosphere of Limelight.
Birch has been an avid
concertgoer for years, and he
thinks the best part of the venue
is that it was designed with other
musicians and music lovers in
mind.
“There’s just certain venues
you go to where you kind of say,
‘wow, they just got it right,’ and
I think people who love music
are going to walk away from this
saying that,” Birch said.
The Future
40
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