The Gas City Performing Arts Center (PAC) has been gearing up to highlight more eclectic artists and shows since its grand opening on Oct. 11.
The PAC is set to host names like BlackHawk, Amy Grant and Night Ranger in the next three months, with Johnny Cash and Rush tribute bands also included in the lineup.
Although the building is a new adjustment, residents of Upland and Marion are slowly getting used to it, Bill Rock Jr., Gas City Mayor, said. He said he has heard a lot of positive feedback from attendees in Grant County, commenting on how much closer the venue is than the Honeywell Center in Wabash County.
“It creates a quality of life and a quality of place where people can come and enjoy touring acts,” Rock said, “something that Grant County doesn't have.”
Rock said that it takes up to four years for a venue like PAC to establish itself as a more formidable entertainment center, but he has anticipated its current attendance numbers climbing over that time. This has been sped up by the fact that the hoped-for 50% occupancy rate in attendance for shows in the first two years has been exceeding those numbers by 20% in its first four months.
The project received the READI 1.0 grant of $2.8 million from Governor Eric Holcomb and the Indiana Economic Development Commission (IEDC), Jason Miller, president and director of engineering at Randall Miller and Associates (RMA), said. They also partnered with the Grant County commissioners to receive $2.5 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to promote tourism.
Miller said construction did not exceed the $19.23 million dollar budget, coming in at about $100,000 off the mark.
Construction finished approximately two months later than intended, but Miller said this gave the workers time to build more space to put in several hundred additional seats in the auditorium.
It’s about balance, and that means including a variety of different shows that appeal to different generations, David Slaughter, operations manager at PAC with NoteWorthy Entertainment, said.
Artists on the cusp of fame are one specific group that Slaughter would like to harness, having had prior experience helping manage acclaimed musicians like Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith.
Slaughter considered booking contemporary artists like Forrest Frank and Josiah Queen when the PAC first opened and said that as show counts increase, he expects to welcome a broader and more diversified slant of programming.
“One of the things I love(d) about Nashville in all (of) my two decades of being there is that you really do enjoy those artists that are coming along,” Slaughter said.
The event center hosted Jump, a Van Halen tribute band unique for featuring musicians in the lower age range of 23 to 30 years old.
While tribute bands normally consist of musicians who have grown up listening to that style of music they seek to emulate, Slaughter commented that this show broke that standard and brought in a new generation of fandom with an energetic rendition of rock and roll.
The goal is not always to have a near-sellout night like Michael W. Smith’s show in November of 2024, Slaughter said. He will plan on also having more intimate evenings with open microphone nights in the future.
“We want to celebrate the venue’s ability to be used in a lot of different ways,” he said.
Rock said the area will continue to be developed and eventually see a new YMCA center, in addition to other projects.
There is a large number of people that can be served in the area between Fort Wayne and Indianapolis, Rock said. He hopes that Gas City can be a hub that draws consumers towards it.
Gas City recently won a $10,000 grant directed towards the creation of more art in the city, Rock said. He has been working with Mia Mickelson, the director of art at the State of Indiana Art Association, to consider adding art shows as an event at the PAC.
Slaughter said that the mayor’s office has been looking at a few different types of exhibits, like hosting open fairs in the PAC and installing local artwork on the walls of the building. He described these opportunities as a way for people in the community to see local talent, adding that in the end, it is the people’s building.
“Art is more than just music,” Rock said. “It's creativity for people that think outside the box, and we want to get a lot of the young people in town involved in art.”
