“…Life is a Cabaret, old chum, come to the Cabaret.” – “Cabaret” from Cabaret
This is a line from the first musical I was a part of with Hardin County Playhouse: Cabaret. Music has always been a major part of my life in various forms. Some of my earliest memories are of being in our van when we would travel and listening to a Beach Boys cassette tape on a portable tape player. This was before vehicles typically had a built in cassette player…you know during the Stone Age! Now a bunch of years later, music is still an important part of my life, and it has even influenced some of our travel!
So without further adieu, I present The Great Kaysby’s Top 5 venues for music and musicals! Warning…you may want to travel after this!
Conseco Fieldhouse – Indianapolis, IN – https://www.bankerslifefieldhouse.com/ – First of all, I didn’t know this venue had experienced a name change! It is now Bankers Life Fieldhouse, but in 2000 it was Conseco Fieldhouse! Picture this…it was the year 2000 and I was 16. My aunt had agreed to take me to the show, and I had even been allowed to sign out of school early to travel. It was March, but it was still pretty cold out, and I was standing outside a venue hoping for a glimpse of one of the Backstreet Boys! Oh yeah…I was a FAN GIRL! If you would have asked me then who I was going to marry one day, then I would have told you hopefully AJ McLean! He was the bad boy, I was the good girl, and he had sang, “If you want it to be good girl, get yourself a bad boy!”
I didn’t meet a Backstreet Boy this time (I would meet Howie Dorough later with my two BFFs, Mom, and aunt outside the Hyatt hotel in Lexington, KY), but I did see their tour bus with the duck in the front window!
This show turned out to be one of the best BSB experiences I’ve ever had (I’ve seen them four times with number five coming in September)! For one, we were super close to the stage on the bottom tier of seats. We were so close that a security guard saw my aunt taking photos with a zoom lens camera, and he promptly destroyed the film in front of us. Secondly, this show was filmed. Footage from the show was used for the music video for “The One”. We sat right behind the camera! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZYrEz0mxts
Riverbend Music Center – Cincinnati, Ohio – https://www.riverbend.org/ – Hands down, this is my favorite concert venue! Typically, I’m not big on outdoor venues. I’m a chunky girl and outside tends to equal sweaty and uncomfy especially in the summer. However, Riverbend is cool because part of the venue is a covered pavilion with actual seats and the rest is a lawn where you BYO chair/blanket. I’ve been to one concert here, Kid Rock many moons ago, but if it were closer to home I would be there more often.
The Fabulous Fox – St. Louis, MO – https://www.fabulousfox.com/ – This is the most beautiful venue that I have ever had the opportunity to visit! This year, the Fabulous Fox turns 90 years old! It originally opened in 1929, and it is still a beautiful representation of 1920’s Art Deco. Mr. Kisby and I saw The Phantom of the Opera here, and even though our seats were in the very back of the lower level, they were phenomenal! When that chandelier came swinging out over the audience it gave us chills! Another great thing about this venue? It is in a small arts district so there is a lot of other cool stuff to explore while there. Added bonus? Our trip to The Fabulous Fox also included Jilly’s Cupcakes (one of my very first blogs was about Jilly’s) and a taco pizza from Casey’s!
The Kentucky Center – Louisville, KY – http://www.kentuckycenter.org – Do you know what is so cool about this venue? A fire can’t keep it down! In June 2018 a portion of the building caught fire and was destroyed. By June 2019 the venue, while still under construction, was revitalized enough for a run of Hamilton! Mr. Kisby and I have seen four musicals at The Kentucky Center: Hairspray!, Wicked, Cabaret, and Hamilton. We’ve sat in four different areas and can attest that there is not a bad seat in the house! Another perk? Every employee and volunteer that I’ve interacted with here is very friendly! You can’t beat Southern hospitality mixed with the performing arts!
KFC Yum! Center – Louisville, KY – https://www.kfcyumcenter.com/ – I’ve been here for Lady Cards basketball and a concert, and I am amazed by how versatile this space is! When you are at a concert it is hard to believe that basketball is played here; when you are at a basketball game it is hard to believe how easily it can be converted into a concert venue. I saw the Backstreet Boys here (concert number four) when they were touring with New Kids on the Block. Fun fact, the ticket scanners were not working, and instead of our top level seats we ended up being seated in the lower level by the stage! We saw the guys loading into the backstage area from our seats! I’m looking forward to going to see the DNA Tour in September (BSB concert number five)! I recommend Yum! Center for both its great facility and the variety of entertainment that it has brought to Louisville.
So now you know The Great Kaysby’s Top 5 Music/Musical event spaces! I hope that you will have the opportunity to check them out! Also, should one of the Backstreet Boys or Kid Rock happen to read this, then a couple of backstage passes would be great! Thanks! 🙂
XOXO,
The Great Kaysby
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The Great Kaysby 