This ‘gorgeous’ concert venue overlooking Boise was private. Until now. First show? May

A new outdoor music venue is ready to make its public debut in Boise.

And one thing is certain. The place won’t ever run out of beer.

Country-rock band Reckless Kelly will headline a concert Saturday, May 21, at Performance Park. The fledgling events destination is on the property of drinks distributor Hayden Beverage Co., 2910 E. Amity Road.

Nearly 800 tickets have been sold to the all-ages concert, which costs $35 in advance at eventbrite.com or $45 day of show. Tylor and the Train Robbers and the Jeff Crosby Band will open. Music starts at 5 p.m. and will end by 9:30 p.m. Lawn chairs are welcome.

Performance Park is a sodded area with a gazebo, horseshoe pits and restrooms. Reckless Kelly performed there last July at a private 50th anniversary celebration for Hayden Beverage. Owner Dodds Hayden “essentially built a park facing downtown and the Foothills,” explains Mila Perry, owner of Boise-based MB Promotions.

Perry is producing the concert. She also planned last year’s private bash. Having beers with band members afterward, she discovered they were interested in coming back. Multi-instrumentalist Cody Braun describes Performance Park as “a gorgeous spot” in a new video. “It’s a brand-new venue up in east Boise,” he says, “and sits up on the Bench overlooking the city.”

The grassy space isn’t as large as, say, 4,000-capacity Outlaw Field at the Idaho Botanical Garden. But Reckless Kelly played for about 1,100 Hayden Beverage employees, family members and friends last summer. “I think we could have doubled it, easily,” Perry says. “Without it being obnoxiously packed, I’ll bet 2,500, maybe 3,000 people.”

Perry says she thinks this public show will draw a larger crowd than the private party. Parking logistics are still being finalized, and there will be a designated spot for ride-share vehicles. Her intent, she adds, is not for Performance Park to evolve into a busy — or even regular — concert venue. This is a test run. As a rental space, Performance Park seems suitable for a variety of entertainment events.

Still, the private show “went really well logistically,” Perry admits. “The crowd was happy. The bands were happy.”

More smiles seem probable in spring.

“If this is successful,” Perry says, “maybe we’ll do another one.”

This story was originally published March 30, 2022 at 4:00 AM.