Dickies Arena Events

Lots of entertainment and non professional events coming to the DA.

Already, George Strait, NCAA Tournament, graduations, etc.

 Music -

Black Keys + Modest Mouse Nov 14th

https://twitter.com/...4231326720?s=19

Lots of entertainment and non professional events coming to the DA.

 

Already, George Strait, NCAA Tournament, graduations, etc.

 

 Music -

 

Black Keys + Modest Mouse Nov 14th

https://twitter.com/...4231326720?s=19

 

 

I was really interesting in going to the Black Keys + Modest Mouse show.

While looking through ticketmaster for tickets the cheapest tickets were $89 each, on top of which there was an $18 service fee per ticket and a $5 per order booking fee.
The most expensive floor tickets were $300 each and had $51 in service fees per ticket.

Maybe this is just me becoming a grumpy old man, but the huge mysterious "fee" really irked me. I know that's not a Dickies thing per say, but it's certainly something that has me opting to no go to the concert instead.

Collegiate Basketball Tournaments will be held at Dickies Arena next year and more:

Fort Worth Business Press - https://fortworthbus...-arena-in-2021/

I just took a look at the Dickies Arena upcoming events page.

I know many people are aware that Simon Biles will be here for the U.S. Gymnastics Championships... some other interesting stuff coming up too, including:

• U.S. Gymnastics Championships June 3-6
• Fort Worth Symphony July 4 (don't they usually do Concerts in the Garden?)
• Rod Stewart/Cheap Trick August 20
• Michael Bublé September 21
• Blake Shelton September 25
• Hall & Oates September 28
• Steely Dan and Steve Winwood June 2, 2022

Not quite top shelf stuff, but pretty good.

Looks like Fort Worth will be hosting its first ever WWE PPV...

The Bassmaster Classic weigh ins will be there too.

It's free if anyone wants to go check out the arena during an event and hasn't had a chance yet.

Yeah, I didn't post *everything*.  Just (what I thought were) the highlights.

Concerts in the Garden is not happening this year. The July 4th concert is the replacement.

Does anyone know if this is because of COVID uncertainty at the time they would normally need to begin organizing the event OR if this is a bigger change related to the move from being run by the city to the PPP with BRIT

The WWE Pay-per-view was a good get, and the fall will be really, really busy. In October there are some big events back on as well, Kiss is still scheduled Oct 1.  A planned celebration of the USA Gymnastics Team, James Taylor and Mercy Me, and internally we have been told to be ready for more to show up

The WWE Pay-per-view was a good get, and the fall will be really, really busy.

Last year would have been the first time a major WWE show was held in Fort Worth since the early 2000s... and it got canceled because the world shut down just a couple weeks before it would happen. 

So I guess this is supposed to be a "make-up" for the two cancelations that came, and that's a pretty good one to have. MITB is always a fun show.

The Bassmaster Classic weigh ins will be there too.

 

It's free if anyone wants to go check out the arena during an event and hasn't had a chance yet.

I had no idea how big of a deal this is until a coworker mentioned.  We're thinking about going one day just to check out the scene.

The Dude Perfect Tour is there in September and I have a friend whose kids are pretty excited about it.  The fact that viral YouTube video producers can take their show on the road and get paid for it tells me that I was born 25 years too early and went into the wrong profession.

There were a lot of Fort Worth mentions and nice views of the skyline during the live broadcast of the US Gymnastics event last night on NBC Sports.  Interestingly enough, the skyline shots that I saw were not live.  They were shot looking from west to east in the very early morning around sunrise, but beautiful shots nonetheless.  My wife and daughter are going to the final event on Sunday afternoon.

Who are the "Killers?"  One thing is becoming obviously clear: FW is getting the shows that it didn't in the past.

Fort Worth Business Press - https://fortworthbus...lease-of-their/

Note: And here kids is why DA is going to be fine without the NBA or NHL.  You to get to see right in your own "Living Room" great musical acts, special events (Wrestling, gymnastics).

The Killers are a band.  They're not one of my favorites.  I think their fans are generally younger than you and me.

They will visit Toyota Center in Houston, on Thursday, September 8; Moody Center in Austin, on Friday, September 9; and  in Fort Worth on Saturday, September 10.

They must have two sets of staging and stuff; I can't believe they can do three cities that far apart on three consecutive days if they only have a single stage setup.

This is a sign that Dickie's is doing exactly what it set out to do.  The fact that The Killers are coming to FW (and not Dallas) is pretty amazing in my mind.  This is a really nice get.

And look at the other venues on the lineup. After Fort Worth it's FTX in Miami (capacity 21,000), Amway in Orlando (20,000)  Sate Farm Arena in Atlanta (21,000). Most of their stops are NHL/NBA facilities. Moral of the story is The Killers are a band that sells out BIG arenas and them coming here is a a nice get.

 

They will visit Toyota Center in Houston, on Thursday, September 8; Moody Center in Austin, on Friday, September 9; and  in Fort Worth on Saturday, September 10.

 

They must have two sets of staging and stuff; I can't believe they can do three cities that far apart on three consecutive days if they only have a single stage setup.

 

Typical show schedule for a tour of this size

7am first busses arrive on site - Floor mark and backstage assignments

8am first truck arrives - hang points and build the stage

11am roll the stage in place build video, backline and FOH

1pm begin chair set on the floor 

3pm focus lights and test audio

4pm rehearsal

6pm Doors open

7pm Opening act

8pm second act

9:15 Main act

10:50 Lights up show over - allow for two song encore still out by curfew at 11

2am load out complete and all busses and trucks on the road

rinse and repeat

the tour busses you see are almost always for department heads to catch sleep during the day, they'll get to bed around 2 or 3 when loadout is done, on well run shows it will be closer to midnight while local hands finish things up, and then be up at 9 once gear is off the trucks, riggers get sleep during rehearsal and the shows. Then its just the 120 local guys that burn all day and let the next city fill up the labor.

WWE is a good example of this, they were in Houston on Friday night, Loaded in here on Saturday so they could have the PPV rehearsal and then did the show Sunday and were in Dallas on Monday, and their set is about three times larger than what the Killers will have

 

 

 

They will visit Toyota Center in Houston, on Thursday, September 8; Moody Center in Austin, on Friday, September 9; and  in Fort Worth on Saturday, September 10.

 

They must have two sets of staging and stuff; I can't believe they can do three cities that far apart on three consecutive days if they only have a single stage setup.

 

 

Typical show schedule for a tour of this size

 

7am first busses arrive on site - Floor mark and backstage assignments

8am first truck arrives - hang points and build the stage

11am roll the stage in place build video, backline and FOH

1pm begin chair set on the floor 

3pm focus lights and test audio

4pm rehearsal

6pm Doors open

7pm Opening act

8pm second act

9:15 Main act

10:50 Lights up show over - allow for two song encore still out by curfew at 11

2am load out complete and all busses and trucks on the road

 

rinse and repeat

 

the tour busses you see are almost always for department heads to catch sleep during the day, they'll get to bed around 2 or 3 when loadout is done, on well run shows it will be closer to midnight while local hands finish things up, and then be up at 9 once gear is off the trucks, riggers get sleep during rehearsal and the shows. Then its just the 120 local guys that burn all day and let the next city fill up the labor.

 

WWE is a good example of this, they were in Houston on Friday night, Loaded in here on Saturday so they could have the PPV rehearsal and then did the show Sunday and were in Dallas on Monday, and their set is about three times larger than what the Killers will have

 

 

SCHMJDT, this is good stuff.  Thanks for the breakdown on how this works behind the scenes.  It reminded me of this video "What it takes to Set-up a Show - Rush"  I nerd out on this stuff.  A buddy that was really into pro wrestling happened to work in commercial AV and he got to watch WrestleMania set-up at AAC and said their lighting controls were insane.  Are they running all their que's using wireless comms up to the rigging?

 

 

this video is still pretty accurate to the day in the life.

As far as comms, they actually still just use hand signals and shouts up and down.

Lead rigger from the show will be on the floor with a laser and draws all the chalk marks, the riggers in the steel head out on the beam, get their mark, drop a rope and then run the rope back to the catwalk where two or three pullers are ready.

WWE and a lot of the big shows are actually running into a number of issues now in the wireless world, after the FCC changes to compress the available bands every venue needs RF coordination and have to work carefully to not get stepped on and have things misfire.  Just the past Friday night show, there was a remote signal for WWE that was on the same frequency as the hoist control for their center video board at Toyota Center, and caused the beacon and the siren to go off. So the big big shows still hardwire comms to the spot light operators and most positions.  When we host NCAA MarchMadness in the spring it will be a real test of our coordination.  Our systems will be in use, unlike a concert, then adding in the crush of media covering 8 different teams and the national broadcast on CBS there will be a lot of traffic.

It's visually interesting to follow the structure from one side all the way over to the other side.

Very steep catwalk up to where the scoreboard rigging.  They can raise / lower the scoreboard as needed and bring it all the way down to the floor...pretty cool design. 

Up in the cupola looking across to the other end:

For reference, the cupola is lit up in green here during Christmas (thanks to our very own SCHMJDT)

Close-up of the programmable LED cupola lighting fixtures:

Looking down from the cupola through the scoreboard:

Bass Trap diagram.  Also, if you look at the upper left side of the photo toward the sport lighting, you can see the catwalk from the earlier shot and follow it to where the scoreboard rigging it mounted and then the very top of the photo you can see just how high up the catwalk and cupola are located in reference to the floor.  (I didn't take this photo)

Perforated Metal wall (on left) for bass trap.  I guess those are screens on right for cordoning off sections of seating depending on the event?

Inside bass trap / corridor. Perforated wall with batt insulation on the right and insulated (CMU?) wall on the left.

Bass trap batt insulation in wall with perforated metal on the other side of it:

I don't think that's CMU.  Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe CMU is typically lined up vertically like that.  It's usually staggered for strength.  Of course that could be insulation covering CMU.

Nice pics.  Thanks for sharing.

I don't think that's CMU.  Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe CMU is typically lined up vertically like that.  It's usually staggered for strength.  Of course that could be insulation covering CMU.

 

Nice pics.  Thanks for sharing.

Thanks JBB, I believe the walls and floor (other than the walkway) are lined with some sort of fibrous insulation.  It looks like concrete but is actually a softer material of insulating board.  I'll try to get a close-up photo posted later tonight.  The walls behind the insulation I couldn't recall if it was CMU or poured concrete off the top of my head.

Edit: OK, I found another angle of this material and my notes from several months ago:

4” thick fiberglass lined exterior wall around the perimeter (yellow material shown here)

looks like you went on the tour I usually had to give . . .

The bass trap has a really cool design that works with the awesome with the EpicDeck roofing.  The aluminum panels that make the domed roof of the arena are 18" thick and have wrapped insulation inside of them on the outside edge and unwrapped on the inside edge.  The design is that the inner edge is open to absorb the high notes and the low notes get reflected and roll down the roof line into the bass trap.

Our speaker system is designed to cutoff just below the bottom of the bass trap, basically aimed at the metal decorative frieze.  but for the ambient and stray sounds, on the front edge above the metal ring (the tan panels) that's an acoustically transparent material that allows the sound waves to penetrate into the bass trap.  You get some energy loss in the initial void, about 1', then there is the insulation that absorbs more and the rest just goes to die in the void between the outer fiber batten board and the inner insulation.  

The sound treatment in the building is phenomenal.  Having worked all over the country, no arena is built like this, some do the corrugated aluminum with batten boards in them, so will opt for sound absorbing material, but many just create an echo chamber because its cheap and then hang some lapendary panels from the ceiling and hope for the best.  Just walked with a design team from Austin this week showing them around all the treatments after they had heard the rumors of how well this place got built, they couldn't believe that nothing from the consultants got optioned out and how clean sounding the place is.

But the rigging is a nightmare, those beams are no joke.  And somehow the design architect didn't want to put in the fall arrest safety lines, so that was my day one project to design those.  Typically the riggers climb all the way up to the center catwalk access point and work there way down as opposed to walking up the beams.  Its 32' of elevation gain from the lower catwalk to the upper catwalk, glad I'm not walking those anymore, especially now that they have a little rodeo dust on them.

I very much enjoy this talk of acoustics, and I'm pleased that their were such a consideration on this project.

very cool and interesting photos. thanks for sharing

 

So I have a question: was the show billed as a Dallas Fort Worth event because I haven't been able to uncover a single reference to D. 

 

Was is so apparent about D is that there is very little uniquely entertaining things to do.  58 years since Nov 22nd, 1963 and people still flock to a murder scene for entertainment.  I have this to say about the tourist who traveled here from Tennessee:

 

1. Had he google for hotels near Dickie Arena, he might have found a room in Fort Worth or Arlington. 

 

Caution using online booking because Dickie Arena, AT&T and GlobeLife Park are listed as Dallas Stadiums which D hotels tag and get first eyeballs.

 

2. Had he found a room in Fort Worth or Arlington he would have had a much more entertaining stay.  A tour of AT&T and GlobeLife Field, Six Flags, FWSY, and if zoos are his thing, FWZoo!

 

3. Now he knows and will be spreading the word to friends and family that Fort Worth is actually another city 40 miles and 60 mins apart from D.

 

So sorry for him that he had to settle for the 6th Floor Museum. Honestly if he is such an 11/22/63 enthusiast, while in FW, he could have actually visited the grave of Oswald.  Maybe that should be added to Visit Fort Worth website.

 

It's one of the major issues we have faced since opening the arena, the largest promoter of concerts and events in the country, refers to the market as Dallas, not Dallas Fort Worth, not DFW, just Dallas.

 

https://www.ticketma...filelink_052913

https://twitter.com/...tiondfw?lang=en

 

We've pushed for a while with multiple entertainment venues west of 360 and 2.5 million and growing its time to rebrand or create its own brand and category, but so far very little traction.

 

Well it ought to be up to the Tarrant Hotel Association to monitor these online entertainment and hotel booking platforms.  THA must routinely but forcibly express its concerns and how Tarrant Hotel Association members are being squeezed out of business which should logically come to them instead of the Dallas Hotel Association members.

When Tarrant County events (Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers, Six Flags, Dickie Arena, Texas Motor Speedway, etc) are the location attracting visitors and tourists, then THA should be the default listing for lodging.

A room and hotel tax were lost; and instead was collected by a DHA member. In theory, food, beverage and gasoline sales were also likely deposit in the Dallas (County).

THA and CVB need to get on the ball!

Thanks for posting the photographs and the explanation.  I saw them yesterday, but I didn't have time to respond.

It seems to me that we should all urge that there be a separation of Fort Worth from Dallas when it comes to marketing and the media.

Urge is a passive verb.  The FW C&VB has to earn its worth by meticulously targeting the marketing and branding that deprives Fort Worth businesses of the primacy that is logically theirs due to the fact that an event is staged in Fort Worth/Tarrant County. 

I believe that it is likely that those who can make a difference occasionally lurk on the FWF.  I do sense that the Fort Worth Report may have found kernels of newsworthy stories from the FWF. 

I will continue to be boisterous in point out failures in areas where our civic organizations fall short.

Dang! Anyone looked at the prices of seats for the Clapton Show? Real fans only!

Dang! Anyone looked at the prices of seats for the Clapton Show? Real fans only!

Real fans who are unvaxed is is preference.

Um, Again, Real Fans Only.

Paul McCartney is performing at Dickies Arena on Tuesday the 17th! This may be my once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see one of the most iconic musicians of all time!

But, it's sold out! Re-sale tickets are going for $600+!!!

I'm flying to Los Angeles this Friday the 13th to attend my cousin's graduation. I recently discovered by coincidence that Paul McCartney is performing in LA that night! I don't know what my family has planned after the graduation ceremony, but I might have to be an a** and leave them behind to attend McCartney's LA concert. The LA concert has tickets for "only" $200.

Go see McCartney; iconic songwriter, legendary musician, and amazing performer. Great band too, been with him more than a decade, longer that the Beatles lasted. Saw him first time, for his first performance in North America since the Beatles with the Wings Over America debut performance at Tarrant County Convention Center Arena. The band rehearsed for a short month at Will Rogers Auditorium with the touring stage, commuting daily across the "Turnpike" from the HL Hunt mansion in Dallas where the band stayed. I skipped school one day and climbed up on the roof of the auditorium with a camera and took photos of Mac, Linda, Denny and the rest of the band and entourage entering from the back stage entrance. I turned the house upside down a coupe of years ago looking for those prints to show Denny Lane when he last performed in Dallas but they unfortunately have been lost.

Go see McCartney; iconic songwriter, legendary musician, and amazing performer. Great band too, been with him more than a decade, longer that the Beatles lasted. Saw him first time, for his first performance in North America since the Beatles with the Wings Over America debut performance at Tarrant County Convention Center Arena. The band rehearsed for a short month at Will Rogers Auditorium with the touring stage, commuting daily across the "Turnpike" from the HL Hunt mansion in Dallas where the band stayed. I skipped school one day and climbed up on the roof of the auditorium with a camera and took photos of Mac, Linda, Denny and the rest of the band and entourage entering from the back stage entrance. I turned the house upside down a coupe of years ago looking for those prints to show Denny Lane when he last performed in Dallas but they unfortunately have been lost.

Happened to see this while researching the band:

I'm going to the Paul McCartney concert tonight! I got a resale ticket on Ticketmaster for $400 the other day.

I'm going to the Paul McCartney concert tonight! I got a resale ticket on Ticketmaster for $400 the other day.

Surely the most significant musician in a century.   Might be worth $400 to be in the same room with him.  There surely has been a lot of Beatles kind of documentaries as of late. Love them all for sure. 

Time lapse of Dickies being set-up for PBR:

https://youtu.be/RbAzYjtsA1M

 or the more difficult conversion, clearing the dirt and getting the building cleaned for McCartney

I'll post the McCartney back to PBR, back to Concert Monday night once we finish

They really cleaned the heck out of that concrete!  How do you prevent the front-end loaders from scraping and scratching the surface?  It's hard to tell from this angle any residual damage but you'd think long term use, that could become a nuisance sort of like buying a new car and getting a door ding at the store.  

Careful driving for the most part, they definitely scrape along the ground.  the concrete on the main floor is a trowel finish, and then the ice surface is more or less a polished finish so there aren't any things to get snagged on.  The area around the ice surface we protect with wood and tape to make sure they can't catch and edge and chip.  With the brine solution and all the piping below that would be pretty detrimental.  Then there's a bunch of guys with brooms and shovels to get the areas around the edge cleared.

The hardest spots are the back of house and dock where the concrete is broom finished and the dirt cakes into the seems and the bobcats are no use. So its a team of guys with power washers pushing and letting it dry and do it again and again until we get it cleared.

There are a couple of spots inside the ice floor that we have to be careful with, the Marsh pegs for the hockey nets and a handful of anchor points for things like cirque, volleyball and others.  those all have expansion rubber gaskets as well, but the only damage to the floor so far came from a monster truck that missed its jump, went straight up and landed on the rear and had a part of the drive train catch the concrete directly.  

 

They really cleaned the heck out of that concrete!  How do you prevent the front-end loaders from scraping and scratching the surface?  It's hard to tell from this angle any residual damage but you'd think long term use, that could become a nuisance sort of like buying a new car and getting a door ding at the store.  

 

Careful driving for the most part, they definitely scrape along the ground.  the concrete on the main floor is a trowel finish, and then the ice surface is more or less a polished finish so there aren't any things to get snagged on.  The area around the ice surface we protect with wood and tape to make sure they can't catch and edge and chip.  With the brine solution and all the piping below that would be pretty detrimental.  Then there's a bunch of guys with brooms and shovels to get the areas around the edge cleared.

 

The hardest spots are the back of house and dock where the concrete is broom finished and the dirt cakes into the seems and the bobcats are no use. So its a team of guys with power washers pushing and letting it dry and do it again and again until we get it cleared.

 

There are a couple of spots inside the ice floor that we have to be careful with, the Marsh pegs for the hockey nets and a handful of anchor points for things like cirque, volleyball and others.  those all have expansion rubber gaskets as well, but the only damage to the floor so far came from a monster truck that missed its jump, went straight up and landed on the rear and had a part of the drive train catch the concrete directly.  

 

Is the dirt stored off-site somewhere for reuse with other rodeo/equine events?

If it's one-and-done on use, any idea how they dispose of it?

 

They really cleaned the heck out of that concrete!  How do you prevent the front-end loaders from scraping and scratching the surface?  It's hard to tell from this angle any residual damage but you'd think long term use, that could become a nuisance sort of like buying a new car and getting a door ding at the store.  

 
Careful driving for the most part, they definitely scrape along the ground.  the concrete on the main floor is a trowel finish, and then the ice surface is more or less a polished finish so there aren't any things to get snagged on.  The area around the ice surface we protect with wood and tape to make sure they can't catch and edge and chip.  With the brine solution and all the piping below that would be pretty detrimental.  Then there's a bunch of guys with brooms and shovels to get the areas around the edge cleared.
 
The hardest spots are the back of house and dock where the concrete is broom finished and the dirt cakes into the seems and the bobcats are no use. So its a team of guys with power washers pushing and letting it dry and do it again and again until we get it cleared.
 
There are a couple of spots inside the ice floor that we have to be careful with, the Marsh pegs for the hockey nets and a handful of anchor points for things like cirque, volleyball and others.  those all have expansion rubber gaskets as well, but the only damage to the floor so far came from a monster truck that missed its jump, went straight up and landed on the rear and had a part of the drive train catch the concrete directly.  
 

 
Is the dirt stored off-site somewhere for reuse with other rodeo/equine events?

If it's one-and-done on use, any idea how they dispose of it?

I remember reading a similar story about the rodeo in San Antonio reusing their dirt from year to year.

Popular Science article on rodeo dirt that focuses on FWSSR:

https://www.popsci.c...ose soil on top.

You know is it a slow news day in Fort Worth when the "Hot Topic of the Day" is Rodeo Dirt.

What are the specifications on this dirt?  Any idea where it is sourced from?

 

Are these the sheds at Rockwood park?

https://goo.gl/maps/aFB7bvAQJmyQVUQd8

that's the bins!! Never would have guessed when I started here that rodeo dirt was like wine and aged well and needed protected and preserved

Dylan, how was the concert?  I bet the acoustics were a lot better at Dickies than some of the larger stadiums.

 

https://www.audacy.c...ore-bull-riding

Music is more clear at Dickies Arena (at least for Kiss, ZZ Top, and Paul McCartney) than NRG Stadium where I saw the Rolling Stones.

Though, I can't compare Dickies Arena to other comparable arenas, as Dickies is the only arena I've attended concerts at.

Surely the most significant musician in a century.   Might be worth $400 to be in the same room with him.  There surely has been a lot of Beatles kind of documentaries as of late. Love them all for sure.

It would've been nice if Paul had performed a few more Beatles songs and not as many new songs.

At one point, he even said something along the lines of: "We know what songs you like. Your faces and phones glow more when we perform Beatles songs than when we perform newer songs. But, we're going to perform newer songs anyway!" He then proceeded to perform a new song I wasn't familiar with until two days prior. That was a little disappointing and rude.

That said, it was still worth $400 to see the most legendary musician (perhaps second after John Lennon) of the past century! I still got to hear him perform several Beatles songs I grew up listening to!

EDIT to add: I don't have Disney Plus, so I haven't seen the "Get Back" documentary yet.

When I spend big money to go see a long time touring act that's still making new music, I really want to see them play the hits rather than the new music.  

The "Get Back" documentary is amazing.  It is a very long watch, but It provides an insight into each of their talents that I never realized before.  And also an insight into the hard iterative work that creativity really requires.

You watch the show with the hindsight of how things ended up, but it took effort and talent and friction between them to get to what now seems like the obvious.

I agree that an audience deserves a good portion of the early music that was the motivation to actually fill the auditorium.  If some new things are sprinkled in, that's OK, but those are not why the ticket prices are so high.

If you are a famous Mexican food restaurant, do not serve French food just because the chef has moved on to something different.