In 2016, the music died at D.C.’s iconic Carter Barron Amphitheater in Rock Creek Park when the venue’s stage was deemed unsafe.
Now, music is returning to the historic venue, as organizers bring it back to life for three nights starting Thursday with the help of a temporary stage and some familiar local performers.
Built in 1950 as part of Washington’s 150th anniversary celebration, Carter Barron was one of only three locations in Washington that was not segregated when it opened, according to Rock Creek Conservancy Executive Director Dan Puskar. It later hosted everyone from Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington to Bruce Springsteen and D.C.’s own Chuck Brown.
“Some of the biggest acts in the nation came through Rock Creek Park, came through the Carter Barron Amphitheater,” Puskar said.
Puskar said the venue also played a role in music history.
“Bruce Springsteen basically premiered Born to Run on the stage at the Carter Barron,” he said.
The amphitheater’s last full season was in 2016 before structural problems forced it to close. This week marks the first time audiences will return for live performances in nearly a decade.
“For the first time in a decade, we are able to open on a limited basis this site for people to hear the sounds of D.C. once again,” Puskar said.
Rock Creek Conservancy has teamed up with the DC Jazz Festival and Washington Performing Arts to host concerts this Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The lineup includes local acts such as Black Alley and Sylver Logan Sharp.
“I think it was really important for us, knowing that Carter Barron for decades has been the soundtrack of Washington, D.C., to focus on incredible local artists,” Puskar said.
With that in mind, the lineup includes many D.C.-area based artists, some of whom have a connection to the venue.
“I think it’s also really special to us that a couple of the performers, like Black Alley and Sylver Logan Sharp, have previously performed at the Carter Barron,” he said.
Because the original stage remains structurally deficient, organizers are bringing in a temporary stage that will sit over the first several rows of seats. The concerts will also rely on portable restrooms and other temporary infrastructure as the venue operates in a limited capacity.
“The original stage itself is still not structurally sound enough, so we had to get creative, and it’s amazing what production companies can do these days,” Puskar said.
Organizers expect more than 1,500 people each night, well below the amphitheater’s historic capacity of more than 4,000 attendees.
“We still look forward to welcoming more than 1,500 people every night to come in,” Puskar said.
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While the return is temporary, Puskar said the effort is about reminding people why the venue matters and to build support for a larger restoration effort being developed with the National Park Service.
“The quest to reopen Carter Barron truly is not over. In fact, in some ways, we still feel like we’re in our early days,” he said.
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