Orange Beach officials publicly criticized management at The Wharf’s amphitheater this week after learning the venue had booked jam band Widespread Panic for a Memorial Day weekend show, five years after the group’s last appearance in the city.
Birmingham-based Red Mountain Entertainment announced the band’s return for a one-night performance in May, prompting a pointed exchange at a city council meeting between Mayor Pro Tem Jeff Silvers and The Wharf’s general manager. Silvers said the band’s devoted fan base has historically pushed local police and fire departments to their limits, describing a previous multi-night run as “pure mayhem” for city resources.
According to Silvers, Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon had already emailed the promoter and the property’s ownership roughly two weeks before the announcement to express concern about a potential booking, but the message apparently did not prevent the show from being scheduled. Silvers told the venue’s general manager that the added strain on police and fire staffing during a peak holiday weekend was unacceptable, describing behavior tied to past shows that included fans camping in vacant garages and bathing at the beach.
The amphitheater’s history with the band dates back to 2007, when a two-night engagement became the 10,200-seat venue’s first sellout. A three-night run in 2008 proved to be the most demanding for local police, resulting in 147 arrests ranging from underage drinking to felony drug charges. A similar three-night stand in 2009 saw far fewer arrests, and a two-night show in 2010 did not sell out, a stretch coinciding with the uncertainty of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Since that last appearance, city leadership believed an informal understanding was in place with venue management that acts drawing the same crowd as Widespread Panic would no longer be booked in Orange Beach. Mayor Kennon reiterated that stance at the meeting, saying the city has worked to brand itself as a family-friendly destination and does not want that identity compromised for a single event’s revenue.
Kennon said he hoped the booking resulted from an oversight rather than a deliberate shift in strategy, and indicated city leadership planned to meet directly with venue management to address the issue going forward. The venue’s general manager acknowledged the city’s concerns during the meeting and said management would relay the message to ownership and follow up with city officials.
The exchange highlights an ongoing tension in Orange Beach between maximizing entertainment bookings at one of the region’s largest music venues and preserving the city’s preferred image as a quieter, family-oriented beach destination along the Gulf Coast.