TOLEDO, Ohio — An "'80s Rock Invasion" of musical acts and a beloved hip-hop artist are slated to perform at Promenade Park in July, in what organizer Hunter Brucks said in a press release will be the first among other show announcements later this year.
Flo Rida, the artist behind the song "Low," will perform in Toledo on July 13, according to the release issued Monday by HB Concerts Inc.
Less than a week later on July 19, five more musical acts will perform in a one-day, '80s-themed concert:
- Stephen Pearcy of Ratt
- Great White
- Slaughter
- Steven Adler of Guns N' Roses
- Vixen
"Our intention is to prove to all that we are going to do what we said we were going to do, bring some great shows and entertain the city of Toledo and the surrounding areas," said Hunter Brucks, president of HB Concerts Inc.
According to the press release, the Promenade Park venue — Promenade Pavilion by HB Concerts Inc. — will feature a total capacity of 7,966 people, including VIP areas and stadium-style reserved seating. HB Concerts also plans to offer food and beverage items at each event.
"It builds community and it builds an opportunity for downtown restaurants and downtown bars to be able to be visited more," Peter Ujvagi, a former Toledo City Council member, said of the concert series.
Additional concerts will be announced in the coming weeks to complete the 2024 season, according to the release.
HB Concerts said it recently obtained a permanent office space in downtown Toledo at 300 Madison Avenue, which will serve as the box office for in-person ticket sales and information inquiries. The office is open as of Monday, the management agency said.
Ujvagi hopes that the concerts can draw more non-Toledo residents to the city, too.
"I hope that it gives people particularly from the suburbs and from [southeast] Michigan the idea that they can come to Toledo's downtown. Its safe, they can have a great time and its something that they can come back to in the future," Ujvagi said.
HB Concerts provided the following map of what space the Promenade Pavilion, when completed, would occupy.
HBC Management team and HB Concerts, managed by Hunter Brucks, are leasing Promenade Park to put on a summer concert series. According to a study by ConnecToledo, it was estimated that a new amphitheater would cost $28.5 million to build and would require substantial public subsidy. There is, however, "substantial demand" to support up to an 8,000-seat venue that could be designed within an existing facility.
"We are here to do a good job. We are here to have everybody be safe, and we are going to be very secure and run it as pros do," Brucks said.
EARLIER COVERAGE: Should Toledo build the amphitheater that Waterville rejected? See what a new study says
Brucks previously sought to construct an amphitheater off of U.S. 24 in Waterville. City Council meetings on the project brought residents and area business owners out in droves, passionately arguing for and against the project as Brucks pitched a major entertainment venue that would boost the city's economy and draw crowds to the 6,000-resident city.
A judge eventually approved a conditional use permit for a Waterville property that was intended to house the controversial amphitheater project, but Brucks was no longer interested and turned his attention to downtown Toledo.
Toledo City Council in October approved handing over the reins of the summer concert series to Brucks, who Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said is on the hook for at least 10 concerts.
UPDATE: On May 9, Brucks announced on social media that an additional five shows will be announced on May 20. Further details regarding the show were not made available.