Alabama Shakes To Visit the Historic Tennessee Theatre on March 21st
Alabama Shakes will release their second album, Sound and Color on April 21, with extensive tour appearances planned over the next few months, and we would like to highlight a stop they’ll be making in the great state of Tennessee. One of the band’s first shows will be in Knoxville, Tennessee, at one of the state’s most famous older venues.
The Tennessee Theatre, located on Gay Street in downtown Knoxville, first opened in 1928 as a two thousand seat movie palace located within the Burwell Building (built in 1907 and a former holder of the title “tallest building in Knoxville”) and has since been added to the National Register of Historic Places. The interior features Spanish-Moorish influences in architecture and decor designed by the Chicago architectural firm Graven and Mayger. The theatre has seen musicians such as Glenn Miller perform and also hosted two movie premieres (So This Is Love in 1953 and All The Way Home in 1963); after a brief closure in the late 1970s, the theatre was reopened in 1982 and officially designated as a historic Tennessee state landmark.
The theatre is also famous for housing a Wurlitzer organ, which was installed the same year the theatre opened. The organ remained in the theatre from 1928 until it was removed in 2000 for a complete restoration to its original glory, returning for good the following year. The theatre itself underwent a full renovation two years later, with the organ and the interior of the building once again matching the splendor of 1920s Knoxville.
The Tennessee Theatre has been in capable hands since 2005, as AC Entertainment currently manages the theatre and events that it hosts. AC Entertainment is best known as the co-producer of Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee, as well as the producer of Forecastle Festival in Louisville, Kentucky. AC Entertainment also manages two of Nashville’s most popular venues as well, Exit/In and Marathon Music Works.
In addition to Knoxville, Alabama Shakes will be visiting the following cities and festivals this summer-
Anyone interested in purchasing tickets to see Alabama Shakes on March 21 may do so on their website. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter for the latest announcements and tour updates!