A “major concert featuring Dead & Company” has been proposed for this summer at a Jackson Hole, Wyoming-area ranch, according to a report from the Jackson Hole News & Guide. The report comes courtesy of James Deighan, owner of event production company Highline Sports and Entertainment.
The event was officially brought to the attention of Teton County commissioners when Deighan made a public comment at a Board of Commissioners meeting yesterday morning. He stated that his company has filed an official application for the necessary county permit to hold an August concert event on the Gill property in South Park. [Note: Yes, you read that right. The proposed event would take place in a town called South Park…South Park, WY, that is.]
Dieghan estimated that 15,000 – 20,000 people would attend the proposed Dead & Company show in South Park, WY (outside Jackson Hole), and went through his company’s previous experience conducting events of this scale, including producing shows for the Zac Brown Band, the Jackson Hole Rendezvous Festival and more.
The ranch property in question is in a rural zone, which allows local landowners to host a limited number of outdoor receptions without a conditional use permit. For this event, a special event permit from the county would be required.
“The only caveat is we are up against a little bit of time…to properly plan this event and execute it in the proper fashion that not only the town deserves but the event itself as well,” Dieghan explained in the meeting. However, they have ambitious plans for making this proposal come to fruition. As the Jackson Hole News & Guide explains, the production company is prepared to devise plans for handling traffic, crowd control and parking in partnership with a third-party logistics company that has helped produce the Super Bowl each year since ’83.
Dead & Company has already announced their 2018 Summer Tour plans, though their August is, as of now, totally clear. Considering the fact that the proposed space is not an existing venue, this event would involve intensive levels of production and infrastructure setup to make the ranch conducive to hosting a large-scale concert. In fact, it would take festival-like levels of production…
The story is still developing, Dead & Company has not made any public comment regarding the proposed concert, and it’s late in the game for this summer, so this may be a non-starter. But until we know more, we can let our imaginations run wild about the possibility of a festival-type concert in a tiny, quaint town in the mountains…called South Park.
[Cover photo: Phierce Photo by Keith G.; Instagram: @PhiercePhoto]
[h/t – Jackson Hole News & Guide]