Michelle WatersJust over a year ago, it wouldn’t have seemed unusual to assume you’d be traveling at least two hours to see some of your favorite national musical acts perform on stage, if you lived in the Mid-Ohio Valley. But flash forward to today, and thanks to people like Bill Marx and the Adelphia Music Hall of Marietta, Ohio, you may find yourself pleasantly surprised at the national musical scene that’s growing right in our own back yard.
I had a chance to talk with Bill Marx, the entertainment manager at the Adelphia, about his accomplishments and future plans for our town, and I’m excited about his ideas and his love for our Valley. When talking about what he hopes to see happen: “We want the MOV to be an entertainment draw”, he said. “People here really appreciate music. It’s kind of like a little Nashville. And I think we can hold that.”
I think he’s onto something. With a variety of acts gracing the stage of The Adelphia, acts ranging from Coolio, Bone Thugs n Harmony, Hinder, Saliva, and Filter to Tracy Lawrence, Craig Wayne Boyd, Chris Cagle and local original and cover bands (as well as top notch opening acts from all corners of the country), people are filling standing-room-only spaces to see their favorite performers. Many shows sell out entirely before opening day, filling the multi-hundred person, two level venue and leaving people asking for repeat performances. “Part of the fun is the diversity of music and thus the diversity of people that attend”.
While it can sometimes be challenging to convince well known acts to come to Marietta due to the city’s population, and relatively new reputation as a national act hot spot, Marx says his relationships with agents and other managers have helped in booking much of the entertainment that’s come this way since his start with the Adelphia in late 2014. “It’s also helpful to get in alignment with the bands’ tour route, and set up routing with other venues to take some of the touring pressure off the groups.” he says. “Once they play our unique venue, hear the sound and enjoy the crowd, they all want to come back!”
While his enthusiasm for building our musical center is big, is doesn’t stop at “just” the music. “Building our [the Adelphia’s] business is helping other local businesses, too. These big acts (and their fans) are coming from hours away, eating in our restaurants, staying in our hotels, shopping in our stores. It’s good for growth.”
You can expect more growth in our Valley with what Bill Marx and the Adelphia have in store. With many more announcements around the corner, already announced acts for November include Plain White T’s, the Ying Yang Twins, Colt Ford and Jason Michael Carroll, while December’s upcoming acts feature Like a Storm, Bobaflex, We Are Funhouse, Jesse Smith & the Holy Ghost, and a New Year’s Eve Bash with Hit Parade. Depending on the show, tickets often range from around $10 – $30, with select shows offering a special VIP section (closest to the stage) for around $75. Occasionally, 18-20 year olds pay slightly more than standard admission.
Excitement continues to build with each new show announcement, drawing fans from hours away and capturing our attention as to who’s coming to The Adelphia next. The two story venue holds several hundred fans – with not a bad seat in the house (which is often standing room only), and offers an intimate environment not often found on national act tour stops. Needless to say, the atmosphere is as impressive as the talent that’s traveling through.
Hoping to see your favorite act in Marietta? Interact with the Adelphia on their Facebook page. Marx says they listen to their social media fans. They pay attention to responses from past shows, as well as what they see at the Adelphia’s regularly offered open mic nights, the requests gotten on social media, and what acts scheduling/touring strategies of currently touring bands might work for coming to our Valley. While they aren’t often seeking “random submissions” for acts wanting to play a show, the Adelphia has been known to pull opening acts from the local talent pool – and “the best way to be discovered is to come to open mic, every Tuesday.”
To stay up to date on what’s happening at the Adelphia, be sure to check out their Facebook page and pick up tickets for the next show.
The Adelphia Music Hall is located at 205 2nd St. in Marietta, OH and are open M-Th: 11a-11p, F & Sa: 11a-2a, and Su: 10a-2p.
