There's a metal show scheduled for Dallas on February 19 taking place at a heretofore unknown venue called the Palladium Ballroom. The name's familiar, but only because there were famous joints in New York City and Los Angeles bearing the same moniker. So what, then, is the Palladium Ballroom in Dallas? (Don't go to its Web site for answers; it's just a tease.)
Well, remember a few weeks back, when we broke the news that Gilley's was getting a makeover and that AEG LIVE, which books the Nokia Theatre in Grand Prairie, was taking control of the South Side honky-tonk? Well, turns out the new-and-improved Gilley's now has its new name: the Palladium Ballroom, d'uh. AEG is nearly finished with its renovations, which will transform the former honky-tonk into a miniature Nokia holding up to 2,800 people. Gilley's, which was losing dough because of its inability to book shows seven days a week and attract marquee names (Micky and the Motorcars, anyone?), will remain in the location, but it will share space with the Palladium.
Gilley's, which once occupied the entirety of the 91,000-square-foot facility, has been drastically reduced in size to make room for this new venue, which will host everything from metal shows like the Dir En Gray-Fair to Midland concert in February to indie-rockers and even theatrical productions that need a 'tweener venue to hold a couple thousand people. AEG had hoped to open the new club by New Year's Eve, but they're still working on the joint. There's a show booked for January--New Jersey metal band God Forbid on the 30th--and at least five other shows have been booked for February, but AEG isn't releasing the names quite yet.
The Palladium is a joint venture, partnering AEG LIVE with G-Texas Management (which operates Gilley's) and Southside Event Center, which currently occupies some 20,000 square feet inside Gilley's. AEG is hoping that after renovations are completed that all three things can hold events on the same night, transforming the Lamar Street venue into thriving complex that doesn't rely on a single tenant to pay the rent. --Robert Wilonsky
