You wouldn’t know it based on recent history, but the warhorse Fort Lauderdale venue known as War Memorial Auditorium owns a respectable concert pedigree — if you go back more than a few decades, that is.
Opened in 1950, the Holiday Park landmark that’s been defunct for the past few years once attracted such pop music luminaries as Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Willie Nelson, Chet Atkins, the Allman Brothers Band, Muddy Waters, Tony Bennett — and, as recently as 2017, Steve Earle and the Dukes. However, over the years, the auditorium relegated itself to graduations, gun shows, and wrestling and boxing matches, including the professional pugilistic debut of actor Mickey Rourke in 1991.
But the auditorium’s long-dormant concert hall identity is being revived as a faithfully reimagined showcase celebrating its 75th birthday with a Tuesday, Jan. 21 debut concert headlined by rocker Melissa Etheridge.
With a sizable floor space for standing room and a capacity of 3,500, the venue fills one more niche in the 21st century live music mecca that is Broward County.
“There is a variety of concert venues and spaces in South Florida,” says Bryce Hollweg, COO of the Florida Panthers, which funded the facility’s renovation. “You have the Broward Center and The Parker, which are seated venues. This one is unique, given the capacity, general admission floor and the mezzanine for ticketed and VIP seating. This gives another option to artists that want that (general admission) floor type of experience.”
Hollweg says the 44,000-square-foot facility has the flexibility to replace the floor’s standing room with seating to present comedy shows, for example. Floor seating reduces the overall capacity to 1,600.
But for the shows we have coming up,” he says — referring to Etheridge, Los Angeles’ indie rock trio the Wallows on Friday, Feb. 24; LA alternative rock duo the Driver Era on Friday, March 7; and Sacramento post-hardcore band Dance Gavin Dance on Friday, June 6 — “they’re going to be full GA floor with a pit, just like you’d see at any type of concert with that sort of setup.”
The setup is already working, according to the venue’s promoter.
“Its multifaceted layout will open up new booking opportunities for us to bring a diverse range of music, comedy, and live podcast shows to the local community,” says Brittany Flores Moyer, president of Florida for Live Nation Concerts, the auditorium’s exclusive booking and promotional partner. “The positive feedback from artists, managers, and agents regarding playing the War Memorial is very encouraging.”
Strong ticket sales for the Etheridge concert don’t appear to bear out any concerns that the 63-year-old performer’s target demo may not take to standing for an entire concert, says Moyer. “Fans are excited to see Melissa Etheridge perform in this intimate venue.”
HOT SPOT IN HOLIDAY PARK
The reincarnated venue joins the neighboring new Baptist Health IcePlex at the FTL War Memorial complex, which Hollweg says was built at a cost approaching $100 million and almost exclusively funded privately by the Viola family, which owns the Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers. The NHL team’s home ice at the 22,000-capacity Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise is Broward’s only other major concert venue with comparable floor space.
With two rinks, the Iceplex serves as the Panthers’ practice facility and is open as well to the public for ice skating. It also includes a team gift shop and The Federal restaurant.
“It was completely first-class and with no expense spared,” Hollweg says of the renovation that kicked off in 2019, when the Panthers began leasing the War Memorial from Fort Lauderdale. As part of the partnership, the city approved a 50-year, $1-a-year lease with an $800,000 grant from money already earmarked for renovations.
Despite the Broward Center’s two established concert halls downtown, a spokesman for the performing arts showcase expresses a “the more the merrier” vibe about the new venue.
“New live concert venues in the community are a sign of how vibrant our music scene is in Fort Lauderdale,” says Matt McNeil, vice president of programming and marketing for the 2,600-capacity Broward Center, which also manages The Parker. That 1,150-seat theater was also recently renovated and is located a literal stone’s throw from the auditorium.
“The reimagined auditorium has the opportunity to attract new and different artists that previously may have skipped Broward County as a place to perform,” McNeil says. “And as the population of downtown and Greater Fort Lauderdale continues to grow, it’s great to see so many exciting entertainment offerings that make us an attractive destination. We’re looking forward to many busy nights in the heart of downtown.”
It’s a downtown that has grown up almost beyond recognition since the auditorium’s heyday.
“The War Memorial has some great history behind it, and I think over the years it has lost its luster,” says the Panthers’ Hollweg. “The city teamed up with the Viola family to bring the building back to life and really create an entertainment and recreational hub in Fort Lauderdale for families and communities to enjoy.”
He doesn’t expect the auditorium’s “lost luster” of recent years to affect the community’s response to its new incarnation. “The word has gotten out of what we’ve done to reimagine and revitalize not only the War Memorial, but Holiday Park in general to make it that crown jewel of the city,” he says. “I think people will recognize the exterior. We were pretty intentional in preserving a lot of the original structure and artifacts.”
TRUE TO ITS ROOTS
But as soon as people enter, he says, the recognition will end. “They’re going to be welcomed by a state-of-the-art, first-class facility for not only concerts but private events as well. As they take that first step through the doors, they’re immediately greeted with a beautiful lobby with bars on each side and check-in, and as they come into the space, a state-of-the-art sound and lighting system, video walls and LED screens throughout.”
Though the first three bookings are rock acts, Hollweg maintains the venue will cater to a spectrum of styles, from rock ’n’ roll to electronic, from country to comedy. “We’re going to get a good cross-section of all genres,” he says. “Latin artists are big, obviously, in South Florida. We will host anyone who will be able to sell that 3,000-4,000 ticket range. It could be any act of any genre.”
But whatever the genre, the revitalization of the War Memorial was intent on remaining true to its name.
“We’ve maintained and restored a lot of the original artifacts of the original venue,” Hollweg says, citing The Kneeling Soldier monument in the lobby. Also, the new lobby floor retains as its centerpiece the original commemorative plaque that describes the building as “a living memorial to those whose valor perpetuates our liberty.”
The Panthers also renovated all other memorial art and monuments in and around the building that honor Broward County’s military veterans — a mission of the project that held significance for the project’s benefactor. Vincent Viola, the team’s owner, is a U.S. Army veteran and West Point graduate.
IF YOU GO
WHAT :
Melissa Etheridge featuring Lisa Loeb and Maggie Rose
WHEN:
7 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 21
COST:
$22, $37, $62, $72, $155, $225, $255, $275
Coming Up
WHAT :
The Wallows with Deb Never
WHEN:
7:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 24
COST:
$47, $67, $91, $96, $101, $104, $106, $154, $204
WHERE:
War Memorial Auditorium, 800 NE Eighth St., Fort Lauderdale
INFORMATION:
(954) 835-7080;
ftlwarmemorial.com
,
SeatGeek.com
