The 17,000-seat stadium was jammed with Mumford and Sons fans last week. Photos Courtesy Michael Perlman
The Mumford and Sons concert last Wednesday night meant the revival of a historic stadium, people trekking from relatively far-flung locales to see the English folk rock band perform, and an economic surge for local Forest Hills businesses. The concert was the first to be held in 15 years at the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium.
Fans filed into the restored 17,000-seat stadium for its revival concert. Many of those concertgoers also filled the streets, bars and restaurants of Forest Hills.
The Flying Pig, a bar and restaurant that opened up this past May, held a function for the promoters beforehand and then an after party with live music. Owner Declan Morrison said The Flying Pig was at capacity, filled with a “hipster-y” type that wasn’t too rambunctious. He said, “it’s just great for the neighborhood,” because of the influx of business for local shops.
The Station House’s manager, Bobby Burns, said that, “all of a sudden Austin Street looked like the Lower East Side.” The Station House was busier than it has ever been, with a great crowd of people. The bar catered to the band’s fan base with craft beers specials and dark and stormy mixed drinks, he said. He added that they have started getting customers coming from Bushwick on a regular night – a potential indication that the social landscape of Forest Hills is changing.
The Grammy award-winning Mumford and Sons filled the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium last Wednesday.
The main complaint from nearby residents included parking and traffic flow problems. Cathy Elia lives near the stadium and said residents were going six blocks out of their way to get to their own homes and the people who lived on Burns Street were not allowed to park there for the evening. Still, Elia noted that, “It wasn’t the disaster I thought it would be.” It wasn’t too loud for her, and she said the crowd didn’t seem to be a nuisance.
“Overall it was tolerable and great for business,” she said. “…But maybe it’s good it will only be six times per year.”
The concert is part of a collaborative effort between the owners of the stadium, the West Side Tennis Club, and a concert promoter to bring music to the historic stadium that once attracted such names as The Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix. The plan is after the one concert this summer, there will be six carefully picked musical acts every summer.
Area residents said they hope the WSTC and the concert promoter have learned a number lessons from the Mumford and Sons concert – particularly because show goers said the stadium was overcrowded, some ticket-holders weren’t able to get in at all, and hundreds of people who had left the venue to go to the bathroom were not allowed to get back in to see the rest of the act.
The WSTC wrote a letter to its patrons acknowledging the problems.
“As many of you know, this was the first show in many years at the stadium, and we collectively experienced the growing pains that come with reopening a new venue,” the WSTC wrote in its letter the day after the concert. “We hope you enjoyed the show, but we will gladly offer full refunds to those of you who did not have an optimal experience at the stadium. Fans who want to inquire about a refund can email info@frontgatetickets.com.
For years the stadium was run down and ignored, but in 2010, when it was almost sold to a developer, the Rego-Forest Preservation Council decided to make an effort to preserve the stadium, according to Michael Perlman, the council’s founder.
“It was in danger because they were thinking of selling it to a condo developer,” Perlman said. “They were going to demolish and put an out of context condo.”
After getting the community behind the cause with a Facebook page and petitions, along with meetings with local politicians and the West Side Tennis Club, it was decided the stadium would be restored and used for cultural events. The restoration included replacing seating and refurbishing the architecture. The concert producers put in about $1.5 million for the restoration, Perlman said.
Perlman also attended the concert and said, “When the Mumford and Sons concert finally occurred, it was a miraculous experience. It was also a very spiritual experience because I stood center stage and imagined the concerts from the 50, 60s, 70s. I felt very close to the past greats.”
By Kerry Goleski
