When the 19,900-seat Tweeter Center launches its 2002 season on June 1 with
Kiss, it will have 7,000 reserved seats on the center's lawn, an additional 400
parking spaces, another video screen, even a smoking lounge. All improvements are part of a $3.5
million facelift. The lawn seating has been raised too, to improve sightlines.
"It was time to do something different,'' Don Law, newly named chairman of
Clear Channel Entertainment, told the Boston Globe.
With 23 new rows of seats it's believed to be the first time a large amphitheater
has cut into its lawn by adding reserved seats.
"We're out front on this one," said Tweeter Center General Manager Bruce
Montgomery.
"The new seats give us a chance to support more expensive shows and get bigger
artists," said Dave Marsden, Clear Channel vice president and the facility's booker.
"We looked at our sales patterns, and we always have sold the reserved seats
first, then the lawn tickets slow down. But we're encouraged by the
patterns we're seeing now, because the public has gone right into buying the new
reserved lawn seats after the other seats sell out."
The new reserved lawn seating, which provides more leg room than pavilion seating, is $40.
The Tweeter Center expects to host between 42 and 45 shows this summer. Last year it logged 38.
