Concert Venues In Quincy

IT'S NOW THE stuff of legend and lore, but there actually was a riverfront concert venue in Hannibal some 30 years ago that drew top rock bands. From hazy memories come tall tales. Bet it was fun.

About the most people we could stuff into a concert in Quincy is 5,000. Maybe. The raceways have had shows over the years, with varying success. There have been some decent Quincy firefighters concerts at QJHS, and during the Adams County Fair. A nice night at Blues In The District draws massive crowds - those are free shows and you can bring your own booze, so of course they are packed.

The Christian contemporary shows at the Oakley-Lindsay Center always seem to be well-attended. The concerts are organized and promoted, and admission is reasonable. Hmmmm .... they might be on to something there.

Lucy looking down on Front Street from Woodland Cemetary

If we build it, will they come?

My dream venue would be built on the river, where the old paper box company used to be near Front and Jefferson. I look down on it from the bluff on our Woodland Cemetery walks all the time, and I dream. All that remains on the river property are slabs of concrete and the smokestack.

You'd have to deal with flooding and parking, EPA red tape and bugs bigger than Charlie Brown's head, but it could all be worked out. It really could.

Would national acts come to Quincy? Would we pay $50 or more for a great rock show? So many questions. The idea lingers and tantalizes.

After I wrote a column about this for The Whig in 2010, Bob Mays sent me a letter with a $2 bill. He said he had a pipe dream many years ago about a project, and his dream became reality. That happened a lot with Bob. Sheryl framed his letter with the $2 bill, meant to symbolically jump start my venue dream.

The next thing you know, I'll be quitting my job and opening my own business with my wife, and buying a big old downtown building and breathing life back into it.

That's crazy talk, right there. Dare to dream!