Rock concerts moving to big screens

“Clearly, we’re primarily focusing on nontraditional, non-peak nights,” Diamond said. “We’re not trying to compete with our core movie business.”

The company’s most successful event was a simulcast of the last concert by jam rockers Phish. About 40,000 tickets were sold for the August 2004 show.

Widespread Panic vocalist John Bell said simulcasting a concert allows the usually hard-touring group to still reach out to fans without the rigors of an extended tour.

He also called it a chance for the band, formed in 1986, to continue a tradition of exploration that has kept music-making exciting for the group’s members after two decades.

“The kids buy into the novelty of it, just the way we do,” said Bell, hours before their recent simulcast show. “It’s a new way to have that concert experience with your friends in your hometown — and you get to buy popcorn.”

Buck Williams, the group’s manager and agent, sees a different upside to the simulcasts in movie theaters. He said an estimated 25 million to 40 million people would see the band’s name on posters, trailers or other theater promotions for the concert event.

The Fox Theater May 9 broadcast marked the first time Widespread Panic performed in concert all the songs from “Earth to America,” its new album due for release June 13. The show also featured songs performed with full brass and string sections — which Bell said the band never would be able to bring along for an extended tour.

At Hollywood Stadium 24 in nearby Chamblee, a couple dozen fans geared up for the show by tailgating in the parking lot — lounging in lawn chairs and drinking cans of beer from coolers, as Widespread music blared from their car stereos.

When the band tore into “Pigeons,” a driving, groove-based rocker and the second song of their first set, the movie theater audience hooted and cheered. Pockets of fans danced in the aisles and in the back of the theater as others were content to sit in place — albeit cheering and clapping at the end of each song and, in some cases, even shouting out requests at the screen.

Several fans said they were enjoying themselves, but didn’t feel the same energy they feel when attending a concert in person.

“It’s nice seeing things I don’t normally see and hearing things I don’t normally hear,” said Jarett Bellini, 27, of Atlanta, who has seen the band live about five times. “That being said, I’d still rather be at the Fox.”

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