Levenson's Guide: The Tabernacle

[lethalweapon3]

Note: I’m of the opinion that there needs to be something akin to a “Fodor’s travel guide” for Hawks fans needing stuff to do besides merely getting to the arena and going home. To that end, here’s an initial installment of venues and sites within a short walk, ride, or drive of Philips Arena that some may find worth checking out, under the banner of “Levenson’s Guide”.

 

 

 

Address: 152 Luckie Street, Atlanta, GA 30303

 

 

What is it: Former church, converted into downtown Atlanta’s most popular mid-range concert venue.

 

History: Situated on land now occupied by Centennial Olympic Park, Third Baptist Church was bursting at the seams not long after Rev. Len Broughton arrived in Atlanta to pastor at the turn of the 20^th century. Several on-site expansions proved futile in meeting demand.

 

The North Carolinian fundamentalist minister was vocal on political issues of the day, a tireless advocate for temperance and teetotaling prior to the national Prohibition era. Broughton embarked on a quest to construct a tabernacle closer to the city center and large enough to accommodate all comers.  He worked with noted Chattanooga architect R.H. Hunt to design the building at Luckie and Harris Streets.

 

 

Broughton’s new church opened in 1911, with an auditorium seating 4,000 and Sunday school facilities downstairs for 3,000. The largest Bible Conferences in the South were hosted here, at the new Tabernacle Baptist Church. Churches were at the forefront as cities warmed to caring for the ill outside of their own homes, and one of the services hosted by this church was an infirmary, the predecessor to Georgia Baptist Hospital (now Atlanta Medical Center).

 

 

Broughton didn’t stay at his new church for long, accepting an offer to come to London’s Christ Church. But he returned to America after The Great War took its toll on England and personal health problems mounted. He last led Tabernacle Baptist from 1929 to 1931 and died in Tennessee in 1936. The Tabernacle he left behind continued to prosper for decades.

 

With the onset of suburbanization and desegregation, many Atlanta intown places of worship relocated further out to accommodate their longer-commuting congregations. But Tabernacle Baptist held firm. Church membership declined from a peak of 3,000 in the 1950s to 500 in the 1980s. By 1991, its pastor resorted to fasting in a last-ditch attempt to draw sympathetic donations to keep the place open. The 100-member church decided to put the building up for sale later that year, but it would take years to find buyers.

 

The 1994 sale went to investors seeking to use the building as an entertainment site during the Olympics, given its proximity to the Olympic Park being constructed just across Techwood Avenue.

 

Those plans seemed to finally come to fruition when the place became the host of The House of Blues just in time for the Games. The Blues Brothers were the first act that summer of 1996, followed by James Brown, Johnny Cash, Al Green, Bob Dylan, and other notable acts. Unfortunately, the House of Blues franchise owner had no plans to continue their run in Atlanta beyond that Olympic summer.

 

A California developer then invested heavily in what he believed would be “the premier venue in the Southeast.” The Tabernacle became the host for a breakthrough gospel play by a struggling local stage director named Tyler Perry. Its lower floor was rented out to host The Cotton Club, run by local promoters best known for creating Music Midtown.

 

Finding the travel distance between Atlanta and home to be too great, the California investor sold his interest in the Tabernacle property to the entertainment group now known as Live Nation in 1999.

 

 

Today: Now managed around-the-clock by Live Nation, the Tabernacle has become downtown Atlanta’s go-to site for SRO music concerts and comedy stands, lauded in Rolling Stone and other magazines as one of the nation’s top concert venues. The palatial design of the former church has proven to offer impressive acoustics and superb sight lines for concertgoers thrilled to see their favorite acts in more intimate and historic settings than run-of-the-mill arena stages. Frequent concertgoers declare that there’s hardly a bad seat in the house, particularly in the tiered balconies above the floor.

 

The Tabernacle continues to survive even after the 2008 Tornado that ravaged downtown, ushering in extensive repairs to the roof, windows, wiring, and pipes. A packed concert for the aptly named “Panic! At the Disco” in February of this year had to be evacuated due to fears the stage floor was cracking (the place was promptly inspected, and it’s fine). As one Yelp commenter amusingly noted: “Part of the fun is worrying if the whole place is going to fall in. I kid – but you feel every bass bump and every footfall up in the balcony. GREAT Acoustics.”

 

 

Tabernacle events are NOT for kids. Despite the non-smoking signs posted around the venue, it’s safe to say the smoking rules are liberally enforced once performances begin… and I’m not just talking tobacco. Still, for visiting adult Hawks fans, the Tabernacle can be suitable for postgame fun on matinee days, or as someplace fun for the out-of-town grown folks to go during two-night stays. It’s a far cry from what Len Broughton envisioned for the place, but one century later, there’s plenty of good-natured shouting at the Tabernacle.

 

Tips:

 

* Purchase tickets to events online (www.tabernacleatl.com) or at a Ticketmaster outlet if possible. The Tabernacle box office is usually open just a couple hours before performances, and the best acts are usually sold out by then.

 

* Call in advance if you have ADA/accessibility seating needs. Don’t bring any large purses or bags, and dress light as there’s no coat check.

 

* Get to the Tabernacle at least an hour before performances, not only to avoid the long lines around the building, but also to mingle while enjoying the full-service bars ("sorry, Rev. Broughton! Haha.") on the stage floor. The original version of Ted’s (as in Ted Turner’s) chain restaurant known for its bison burgers is situated right across Luckie Street.

 

* The Tabernacle has a VIP bar and lounge (“The Room”) on an upper level for season-ticketholders. Do NOT purchase “VIP passes” hawked by vendors or yahoos on the street, as there’s a likely chance they’re invalid.

 

 

From Philips Arena: Cross Marietta Street and walk north along Centennial Olympic Park Drive to the traffic light at Andrew Young International Boulevard (near the park entrance where you’ll find the Fountain of Rings). Cross Centennial Olympic Park Drive and then walk back toward the arena one block to Luckie Street. The SkyView Ferris Wheel is right next door to the Tabernacle.

 

From MARTA: Take the North/South train (Red or Gold Line) to Peachtree Center Station, then take the long escalator to the Carnegie Way exit (Main branch of the library is across the street). Walk two blocks down Carnegie Way, cross Spring Street and then walk two blocks to the left along Spring to reach Luckie Street. The Tabernacle is across Luckie, just past Ted’s Restaurant. Alternatively, in a few months you can access the new Peachtree Streetcar from the Ellis Street exit at Peachtree Center. The streetcar travels right in front of the Tabernacle just after it passes Centennial Olympic Park.

 

~lw3

[DrReality]

Love it as a music venue.  Been there several times. 

[lethalweapon3]

I swear I had nothing to do with this!

 

10Best: Concert venues across the USA

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/10greatplaces/2014/10/10/concert-music-venues/16974221/

 

They're not ranked, but The Tabernacle is the 9th one of the ten mentioned. I believe the Ryman and MSG are the only other ones on the list that are indoor concert venues.

 

~lw3