The River Islands Amphitheater stage will be just more than a stone’s throw or two away from the San Joaquin’s Old River Channel.
It promises to be an idyllic setting along the river, especially as the Delta breeze kicks in on a warm summer evening as the sun nears the end of its descent behind the Diablo Range.
The location mirrors the vision of River Islands for concerts it hopes to start staging next summer.
That’s because the 3,500-seat venue is relying on the tried and true — just like those that opt to meander on a boat through the Delta on the Old River where it splits from the newer main channel just a 1,000 or so feet to the east.
The vision is to have older established bands and singers that are still popular on roughly a monthly basis.
There would be more frequent concerts involving the tribute band genre.
River Islands is working with the same concern that programs performers into the Bob Hope Theater and the Adventist Health Arena in Stockton.
River Islands CEO Susan Dell’Osso noted concerts would just be the tip of the iceberg of uses the company is hoping to book into the amphitheater that secured entitlements earlier this month from the Lathrop Planning Commission.
Other potential uses run the gamut from weddings and community-style festivals to comedy shows and sporting events. There could even be endeavors such as community wide garage sales and farmers markets.
It’s size will be comparable to the 3,500-seat Fruityard Amphitheater in Modesto.
And it is half the size of the 6,000-seat Ironstone Amphitheater in Murphys.
There be a concrete area where up to 1,000 chairs can be placed close to the stage.
The lawn area where seating is on blankets or folding chairs guests bring will be capped at 2,500 people.
It can hold more, but River Islands will impose 3,500 tickets as the cutoff due to not enough parking to handle more people than that.
The Fruityard also works as a comparison to what River Islands wants to offer with acts such as Three Dog Night, Chase Rice, and Justin Moore appearing at the East Modesto venue in the coming weeks.
Others that have played the Fruityard and are the type of concerts River Islands is targeting include Smokey Robinson, REO Speedwagon, Air Supply, Chris Isaak, and Rich Springfield to name a few.
In addition to what any medium amphitheater offers — stage, green room for acts, and such — River Islands will also have a large football stadium style video screen.
Not only could it be used during concerts but also events such as weddings
Other River Islands
amenity improvements
River Islands is in the process of building home bleachers at the River Islands football stadium.
The work should be done in time for the Riptide’s second home football game.
Originally, the amphitheater site was planned for a community stadium to serve for envisioned events as well as for home River High football games.
Half of the area that has been used for temporary soccer fields was cleared to accommodate what is now the amphitheater project.
The other temporary soccer fields will remain until replacement fields are developed elsewhere in the 15,001-home planned community.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
