The Amarillo Symphony officially celebrates a city milestone with a pair of weekend concerts commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts.
The concerts, set for 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the center, 500 S. Buchanan St., will feature the world premiere of “Fanfare” by Gavin Higgins (a piece written especially to celebrate the hall), as well as Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez with guitarist JIJI, and Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7. Tickets are $30 to $80. Call 806-376-8782.
It’s a bit … breathtaking to realize that the Globe-News Center is almost old enough to drink. (Other adjectives considered: Disquieting. Upsetting. Wholly unbelievable.)
When I first started covering arts and entertainment in Amarillo in the late 1990s, Amarillo Opera founder Mila Gibson swore to me that the city would one day be home to a dedicated performing arts center. I had my doubts, and I’ve rarely been so happy to be wrong.
When efforts moved into high gear, I got to watch the process up close, speaking with donors, architects, acousticians and more as the building became a reality. Later, I worked for a period with the Amarillo Symphony and was on the frontlines of producing concerts in the hall, a time in which I explored virtually every inch of the center—even, once, the catwalks.
How many shows, concerts and events have I seen in the Globe-News Center? Utterly impossible to say. But, in honor of the 20th anniversary, I’ve listed 20 of the most memorable below. Enjoy, and let us know what your favorite shows have been.
Tune the Hall (Dec. 1, 2005): This sneak preview was designed to give the acousticians the chance to, yes, fine-tune their work. For the audience, it was a thrilling realization of the hall’s promise.
Opening Night (Jan. 21, 2006): World-renowned Amarillo-area natives John Bayless, Erik Chapman, Mia Cunningham and Mary Jane Johnson joined the Harrington String Quartet and a slew of local artists for a fast-paced melange of acts.
La Traviata (April 1, 2006): Amarillo Opera’s first production in the hall remains one of its greatest.
Bob Schneider (April 30, 2006): The Austin musician, late of the Ugly Americans, came to town to help FM90 celebrate its 30th anniversary. It was an intimate show (meaning: next to no one was there), but it proved that the hall would be an ideal setting for concerts of all kinds.
John Bayless (Dec. 31, 2006): One of my earliest major events with the Amarillo Symphony was our first New Year’s Eve concert, which featured the Borger native in a spectacular concert.
Kimbo Ishii-Eto announcement (Feb. 12, 2007): Somehow, the Symphony staff and search committee kept it a secret that Ishii-Eto was named the orchestra’s 16th conductor—even from the musicians who played under his baton that very night.
La Boheme (Sept. 30, 2011): Easily my favorite opera of all time, and a sensational example of Amarillo Opera’s pool of local talent and amazing guest artists.
Jeanette Walls (Nov. 27, 2012): The Glass Castle memoirist and former gossip columnist remains one of my favorite interviews I’ve ever done. Her headlining speech for the Amarillo Area Foundation Women’s Philanthropy Fund awards presentation was life-altering.
Old Crow Medicine Show (July 14, 2014): The Americana icons came to town specifically to celebrate the release of its single “Sweet Amarillo,” based on a song fragment from Bob Dylan’s studio sessions for his 1973 soundtrack for Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. “Sweet” hardly begins to describe the night, a raucous evening that stands as one of the most viscerally exciting concerts I’ve ever experienced.
Lyle Lovett (Sept. 12, 2014): Honestly, this performance by Lovett and His Large Band didn’t quite live up to the heights of a 2005 concert in Palo Duro Canyon, at which the band entered from all around Pioneer Amphitheatre. But Lovett’s mix of whispering ballads and boisterous rockers was a perfect fit for the Globe-News Center. (Plus, I got to meet him backstage.)
Lights, Camera, Dance (April 17, 2015): Lone Star Ballet’s celebration of movie music was great fun, not as serious as something like Swan Lake or as goofy as its longtime love of horror-themed ballets. But honestly, this one sticks in my brain because of the silly photo shoot we did at the United Artists Amarillo Star 14 (RIP), with tutu-clad dancers scooping popcorn and plié-ing throughout the theater aisles.
Robert Randolph & The Family Band (Nov. 6, 2015): Just pure, joyful noise. I wasn’t terribly familiar with Randolph’s music when his show was announced, but I left the hall absolutely vibrating.
Cheech Marin lecture (Feb. 9, 2016): Another fantastic interview that focused on a little-known side of the comedian: His extensive collection of Chicano art, which was highlighted in an exhibition at Amarillo Museum of Art. His Globe-News Center lecture was thoughtful, informative and, naturally, hilarious.
The Time Jumpers (July 22, 2016): This group of Nashville-based session musicians brought country god Vince Gill to town, and what was so cool was that he was just part of the band. Granted, one with the voice of an angel and the guitar skills of someone who’d sold his soul to the devil, but still, just part of the band. (Plus, he seemed genuinely pleased to meet both me and my sister backstage after the show. Anyone who makes my sister smile like that is tops in my book.)
Amarillo Symphony with Mary Jane Johnson (Sept. 17, 2016): Truthfully, I couldn’t tell you if this was truly, as billed, the Pampa-born diva’s final full concert, but it was a special night regardless. Johnson and I go back to my own days in Pampa, where she gave a recital that opened my eyes to the world of opera.
Bomb City premiere (Jan. 23, 2018): Brian Deneke’s death still reverberates nearly 30 years later (as evidenced by last year’s debut of The Blind by Jeni Stennis). This film, a passion project for its creators, got a sold-out premiere in the Globe-News Center that—for one night, at least—united disparate parts of the community.
Man of La Mancha (April 5, 2018): Soap opera and Broadway star Ron Raines headlined this Amarillo Opera production, one of its occasional dabblings in the realm of musical theater. Outside of the astounding “The Impossible Dream,” this has never been one of my favorite musicals, but Raines’ searing talent made me a believer.
A Drag Queen Christmas (Nov. 29, 2022): I never thought my favorite annual holiday tradition would come to my home city, and I never expected the firestorm of public response that would ensue. The controversy led to a sold-out show (which, naturally, was fabulous), but a quieter reaction the following year appears to have put the kibosh on the tour returning. Our loss.
Hayden Pedigo (Dec. 23, 2023): The experimental guitarist is a world-wide sensation, but he returned to his hometown roots for an intimate show in the hall—which just happened to have been sponsored and hosted by Brick & Elm. Like Pedigo himself, it was goofy and occasionally befuddling but always enormously entertaining.
Kristin Key (June 27, 2024): This homecoming show for the out comic was a triumph—her largest-ever show in Amarillo, and a side-splittingly funny night of comedy. Bonus points for the fact that she asked me to introduce her.
Dishonorable mention: Kidz Bop (Aug. 8, 2015): If anyone has ever doubted that I’m a pretty good uncle, let them marinate in the fact that I sat through this concert with my then–9-year-old niece.
This week’s other can’t-miss options:
Jason Eady: 8 p.m. Tuesday; Golden Light Cantina, 2906 S.W. Sixth Ave.; cover; 806-374-9237
Brandon Lee Nevarez album release: 8 p.m. Wednesday; The Blind Pig, 609 S. Independence St.; 806-412-4251
The Cottage: 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday; continues through Jan. 18; Amarillo Little Theatre Allen Shankles Mainstage, 2019 Civic Circle; ticket prices vary; 806-355-9991
“New Year, New Future”: 6 p.m. Friday; Reed Beverage, 3701 S.E. 27th Ave.; free; 806-410-1016
Cameron James Smith: 8 p.m. Friday; Golden Light Beer & Wine Garden, 6014 S. Western St.; 806-221-2337
Amarillo Wranglers: 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday; Amarillo Civic Center Complex Coliseum, 401 S. Buchanan St.; tickets $21 to $32; 806-242-4233
Luke Prater: 9 p.m. Friday; Western Horseman Club, 2501 E. Interstate 40; 806-379-6555, Ext. 2999
Texas Rex: 8 p.m. Saturday; Old Tascosa Taproom and Brewery, 3100 S.W. Sixth Ave.; 806-681-4050
The Clay Gibson Band: 9 p.m. Saturday; Western Horseman Club, 2501 E. Interstate 40; 806-379-6555, Ext. 2999
Howard Country: 9 p.m. Saturday; Hoots Pub, 2424 Hobbs Road; cover
Ryan Hunter: 9 p.m. Saturday; Golden Light Cantina, 2906 S.W. Sixth Ave.; cover; 806-374-9237
Movie options:
Opening Thursday: Zombie sequel 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (Cinemark Hollywood 16, 9100 Canyon Drive, and Cinergy, 9201 Cinergy Square)
Special engagements: Labyrinth 40th anniversary screenings (through Thursday, Cinemark Hollywood 16); anime special feature Gundam Premiere Night (through Thursday, Cinemark Hollywood 16); The Lord of the Rings extended edition trilogy (Friday through Jan. 29, Cinemark Hollywood 16); Madagascar 20th anniversary screenings (Saturday through Jan. 22, Cinemark Hollywood 16)
