Nothing new or really exciting yet.
How about this:
U.K. rock fest to come to Baltimore
Bruce Miller, The Examiner
Jul 6, 2006 5:00 AM (12 hrs ago)
BALTIMORE - The rumors are true — Virgin Mobile’s widely renowned British rock festival will be launching its first-ever United States concert in Baltimore this September.
But it’s not one of the city’s ultra-modern stadiums that will be hosting the concert. Instead, the festival will be held at the home of the Preakness, Pimlico Race Track, the historic racing facility located outside of downtown Baltimore.
According to Kathleen Reynolds, a Virgin Mobile spokeswoman, the concert will be held on Saturday, Sept. 23. She declined, however, to say which bands would be included in the day’s line-up, saying only that a formal announcement about the festival will be made July 10.
“The location is ideal as it’s easily accessible in the mid-Atlantic corridor for a number of fans coming from north and south,” said Reynolds. “Baltimore also provides accessibility to a number of universities and colleges in the surrounding area.
“Additionally, the city of Baltimore and its mayor have expressed the same kind of enthusiasm and commitment that Virgin Mobile has for presenting this festival in the U.S. for the first time.”
Mike Gathagan, a spokesman with the Maryland Jockey Club, which oversees operations at Pimlico, also could not provide any details about the concert, saying he was only aware of the July 10 announcement.
While the Virgin festival is expected to be a major event for the city, some in the local entertainment industry were initially surprised by the company’s choice of venue.
Gregory Smith, president of the Camden Yards Sports and Entertainment Commission, an arm of the Maryland Stadium Authority, which is charged with bringing music and entertainment acts to the city’s stadiums, said his agency was not contacted by Virgin.
“I was disappointed at first,” said Smith. “But, it’s my understanding that they wanted everything all in one area and that’s what the infield at Pimlico offers.”
bmiller@baltimoreexaminer.com
Examiner