By Haley Bancroft
Finding up-and-coming talent to perform at local venues seems to be the Wilmington watermark. What first began at The Mad Monk, then Soapbox Laundro-Lounge, now continues at venues such as Hugh Morton Greenfield Lake Amphitheater and The Throne Theater (formerly Ziggy’s By The Sea). But what sets one Wilmington venue apart is not only the unique and carefully hand-picked lineups, but the outdoor surroundings, allowing Mother Nature’s coastal nuances to act as backup singers of their own.
Back in 2008, the Greenfield Lake Amphitheater underwent a $1.2 million dollar renovation. The major makeover—including an extended stage cover, a stage house with modern changing facilities for performers, upgraded concession and restrooms, and newly designed landscaping—has drawn great interest for both musical acts and fans. Hugh Morton Amphitheater was able to pick up where The Mad Monk and Soapbox Laundro-Lounge left off, just with their own aesthetic twist. Now, Hugh Morton hosts more concerts than ever before. But it’s not just the 1,200 seats and the upgrades that bring music fans to Greenfield Lake.
Unlike all other venues in Wilmington, Hugh Morton is surrounded by nature’s music. Spanish moss swaying from the cypress trees, the calming lure of the water, the vibrant azaleas, it all adds to the magic of the place. It is this magical quality that brought Cape Fear Shakespeare to the park decades before the most recent renovation. Every beginning of the summer season, the local art organization, puts on free Shakespeare plays for the community to enjoy. While musical acts were available to book all other eleven months of the year, due to some recent agreements, which allows four shows to be booked during the Cape Fear Shakespeare Festival, Greenfield Lake Amphitheater is becoming the best concert venue in New Hanover County.
Since the recent improvements of the space, the act lists have been revamped as well. Just this past year Beau Gunn with Huka Entertainment has booked acts as big as Gregg Allman, Peter Frampton, and Willie Nelson (pictured above) to perform. Budding acts like Nahko Bear, whose first album Dark As Night, landed number 4 on Billboard’s Top Alternative Album chart, keep the Wilmington music scene fresh and, dare I say, foretelling. Shakey Graves (pictured below) gave a lively performance at the lake just this past August; one year after winning Best Emerging Artist at the 2015 Americana Music Awards. St. Paul & The Broken Bones, an up-and-coming soul band from Alabama, graced the stage back in May. The group’s second album Sea of Noise was released just this September and has received wonderful reviews from both NPR and Rolling Stone.
The lineup at Hugh Morton Amphitheater is nothing short of perfect for the setting, consisting of primarily old school pop, roots rock, and Americana. Although the amphitheater hosts mostly small musical acts ideal for the intimate space, with a backdrop like historic Greenfield Lake, and the music lovers of Wilmington, possibilities are endless.
Other noteworthy performances from this year included: Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Michael Franti & Spearhead (pictured above), St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, and Peter Frampton.
Haley Bancroft is a storytelling intern with Nest Realty Wilmington. She is a creative writing major at University of North Carolina Wilmington, currently working towards her professional writing certificate.