Tin Roof reinvents Music Farm Columbia as “The Senate,” with plans for 30% increase in bookings

Tin Roof, which leases the property housing Music Farm in Columbia and operates the current venue in a joint relationship with Music Farm in Charleston, is reinventing the venue as “The Senate,” with plans to expand band and event bookings by at least 30% in the coming years, including upcoming shows by Will Hoge, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Lauv and more. The 1200-capacity live entertainment venue, located next door to Tin Roof on Senate Street in The Vista district in downtown Columbia, South Carolina, features state-of-the-art audio-visual capabilities, a variety of hospitality offerings, and an outdoor bar and patio. View venue details and schedule for The Senate at http://www.thesenatecolumbia.com.

Situated just one block from the S.C. State House, the Main Street District and the University of South Carolina and its 34,000 students, Tin Roof and The Senate are surrounded by the city’s best hotels, restaurants and more – providing tours and events with optimal exposure. Tin Roof, The Senate and their adjacent shared parking lot, which has accommodated crowds of up to 2,500 guests for open-air concerts by artists like Luke Bryan and Blues Traveler, have become known collectively as downtown Columbia’s “Live Music Block.”

Tin Roof and Music Farm both have been awarded the “Best Live Music” honor numerous times in local readers’ polls.

“We share the community’s enthusiasm about this venue, which has made a huge impact on the Columbia entertainment scene since opening in 2014,” says Bob Franklin, CEO of Tin Roof. “In transitioning the venue from the Music Farm brand to its own distinct, standalone identity as The Senate and bringing in AEG Presents and Madison Entertainment as partners, we intend to continue to grow Columbia’s standing as a destination for national touring bands.”

The Backstory

Tin Roof, a casual restaurant, bar and live music destination based in Nashville, Tennessee, opened its location on Senate St. in downtown Columbia, South Carolina in September 2010. In September 2014, after leasing the 12,000 square-foot warehouse next door, Tin Roof invested more than $2 million in renovations and launched the space as a concert venue and brought in the Music Farm team from Charleston, South Carolina to manage bookings and promotions under the Music Farm brand.

“In 2014, we felt there was a void in concert options between the smaller venues and the larger arenas in the Columbia market,” says Franklin. “At that time, the right move was to partner with the Music Farm team from Charleston for booking and management. Now, we believe the time is right to give Columbia its own concert venue brand, The Senate. We intend to leverage our national relationships as well as those of AEG Presents and Madison Entertainment to build an even more robust event and concert calendar going forward.”

All currently announced shows at the Music Farm will continue as planned at The Senate. All tickets purchased through Music Farm will still be valid for entry with no required further actions needed by purchasers.

Trae Judy, who had been co-managing booking and promotions for Music Farm Columbia since 2014, says, “I am thankful for the opportunity Tin Roof gave us to bring the Farm to Columbia. Together, we brought a fresh breath of air to the music scene. I look forward to seeing the scene here thrive as downtown Columbia continues to grow.”

“We have appreciated the experience of collaborating with Music Farm and look forward to watching their continued success in Charleston as The Senate begins its life in Columbia,” says Franklin. Both venues and markets are important in bringing high quality live entertainment to South Carolina and have talented people working hard to make it happen.”

AEG Presents Signed on as Exclusive Promoter for The Senate

AEG Presents, one of the world’s largest live music companies, has a regional office in Columbia and has had a large presence at the venue already, booking successful shows such as the opening night concert of J. Cole’s world tour, Third Eye Blind, Brett Young, St. Paul & the Broken Bones and many others. AEG Presents produces and promotes global and regional concert tours, music events and world-renowned festivals, operating in North America, Europe and Asia through 16 regional offices. The company produces or supports more than 40 music festivals, including the iconic Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, presenting more than 10,000 shows annually worldwide.

AEG Presents already has booked a number of national touring shows at The Senate for 2018 with more on the way. The AEG Presents team has expressed excitement about the transition and already is working to increase the company’s presence in the market and the venue now that they have signed on as the exclusive promoter & booking partner for The Senate.

“We look forward to increasing our presence in Columbia and partnering with The Senate to bring the most exciting acts in the country to Columbia,” stated Allen Corbett, VP of AEG Presents Carolinas.

Madison Entertainment: Strong Relationships with National Band Booking Agencies

Madison Entertainment provides talent buying services and consulting in all aspects of the live entertainment business, booking over $50 million in artist fees in 2018. The company is on board to provide in-house booking support & calendar management services for the venue, working with AEG Presents, bringing to the table strong, well-established relationships with each of the major national tour booking agencies – key to the continued growth of Columbia, S.C.’s profile as a destination for tour routing through the Southeast.

Headquartered in Nashville, TN, with offices in Los Angeles and Boise, the firm was founded in 1999 and is led by award-winning industry veteran Roger LeBlanc. Madison Entertainment books entertainment for festivals, venues, corporate events, and promoters across the United States and into the Caribbean, including KAABOO Del Mar, KAABOO Cayman, KAABOO Texas, Mempho Music Fest, Gasparilla Music Festival and more. For The Senate, Madison Entertainment will tap into one of the company’s strongest senior talent buyers, Chris Drizen. Drizen currently buys over 400 national touring acts a year in markets all over the Southeast and Southern California, booking shows into Tin Roof properties across the country and at venues such as the War Memorial in Nashville, The Saban Theater in Beverly Hills and the Rose Theater in Pasadena.

The Staff Remains the Same

Current staff leadership will remain in place during and after the transition. Derrick Osborne, who has been general manager at Tin Roof & Music Farm Columbia since moving to Columbia in Summer 2017, will continue as general manager of Tin Roof & The Senate. Osborne has been with Tin Roof since 2011. Matt Buck, production manager at Music Farm Columbia, will continue in that role at The Senate, assuming additional venue management responsibilities as well. Stacee Freeman will continue to manage private event bookings for The Senate.

Enter “Disco Load Out,” Weekly Friday & Saturday Night Dance Party

In addition to an increased focus on concert bookings, The Senate is introducing Disco Load Out, a new weekend late-night, post-concert dance party at the venue.

“We want The Senate to be an active part of the community with concerts of all genres, events by private renters and community groups, local music & opportunities for people who are just looking for another fun spot to hang out and dance in the Vista on a Friday or Saturday night,” says Franklin.

A Continued Commitment to the Community

In addition to touring concerts, The Senate will continue to offer itself as a community resource for private events, weddings and community events that appeal to all groups & ages.

“While we are excited to increase our bandwidth for booking national touring acts, we remain committed to supporting the Midlands community by offering competitive special event rental rates to local organizations,” notes Franklin. “We’ve enjoyed hosting events for nonprofit organizations like the Historic Columbia Palladium Society, and we look forward to welcoming many more charity events, private functions and more.”

Learn more about The Senate and buy tickets by visiting http://www.thesenatecolumbia.com. Follow @thesenatecola and #thesenatecola on social media.

Confirmed upcoming shows at The Senate, f.k.a. Music Farm Columbia, in Columbia, South Carolina:

• Hot Chicken Fest with Will Hoge, June 23, free
• June Jam Party with 97.5 WCOS, Wednesdays in June
• Papadosio with Higher Learning, Sept. 2
• Shooter Jennings, Sept. 9
• Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Sept. 14
• Descendents, Sept. 16
• Neckdeep, Sept. 18
• Old 97s, Sept. 21
• Jump, Little Children, Sept. 22
• Future Islands, Sept. 26
• Lauv with Charlotte Lawrence, Nov. 5

 

About The Senate

The Senate is a 1200-capacity concert venue and event center in Columbia, South Carolina’s downtown Vista district, pairing first-class audio-visual capabilities with first-class hospitality in the heart of South Carolina’s capital city. The Senate is owned and operated by Tin Roof, a nationally known “Live Music Joint” based in Nashville, TN, with locations across 11 states. Situated just one block from the S.C. State House, the Main Street District and the University of South Carolina and its 34,000 students, The Senate and its immediate next-door neighbor, Tin Roof, are surrounded by the city’s best hotels, restaurants and more – a prime location for delivering the maximum amount of exposure for tours and events. The Senate is comprised of a 12,000 square-foot interior featuring state-of-the-art lighting, projection and sound, a 600 square-foot outdoor bar and patio, and a connected parking lot that has hosted crowds of 2500 for open-air concerts by the likes of Darius Rucker, Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley, Blues Traveler and more. Collectively, The Senate, Tin Roof and the adjacent lot are referred to as Columbia’s “Live Music Block,” making for a powerful entertainment destination. Learn more about The Senate at http://www.thesenatecolumbia.com and follow @thesenatecola on social media.

About Tin Roof

Tin Roof is not just a bar, not just a restaurant, not just a place to see a band; it’s a real live music joint with a relaxed, effortless vibe reinforced by great music, food, drinks and hospitality. From lunch to late night, regulars and visitors alike enjoy a full bar and a Southern-inspired, “better than bar food” menu, with multiple live entertainment acts each day featuring a variety of musical genres. Powered by a professional, high quality sound and lighting system, Tin Roof’s mission is to create opportunities for live music, musicians and Tin Roof crew members, highlighting the authenticity of the local community. Learn more about Tin Roof at http://www.thetinroof.com.