Flat Iron Crossroads Performing Arts Center owner Ray Friend announced in September that the entertainment venue would close for good after its final concert this month.
But instead, he has decided to re-work his business model and offer outdoor concerts. He has applied for a conditional use permit with Gloucester County to seek permission for an outdoor stage and larger audiences at the venue, located just off Ware Neck Road.
The turning point was the success of that final concert, held at Brent & Becky’s Bulbs. It proved to Friend that there was still hope for live music in this region.
Because Flat Iron doesn’t currently have permits for outdoor concerts, Friend partnered with Brent & Becky’s, which has hosted the Gloucester Wine Festival and other regional events in the past, to present the popular band Good Shot Judy for the afternoon concert. It sold out, with several hundred people in lawn chairs in a large field on a beautiful day. Masks and social distancing were obser...