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The Return of Black Oak Amphitheater

Photos by Gary Whitaker

The Black Oak Amphitheater can hold 5,800 in its seats, with another 2,000 filling the lawn area.

It's amazing what a drive around a road barrier can turn up.

Branson Vacation Magazine publisher Gary Whitaker, while driving around trying to find a Branson resort this weekend, decided to visit the old Black Oak Mountain Amphitheater in Lampe, Missouri. The stop was a lark. Many Boomers—like Gary— know the venue well, and even some young 30-somethings might remember as the place where wilder concerts (Ozzy Osbourne, et. al) were held in the early to mid '90s. Gary drove around a barrier in the road thinking he'd find an overgrown old concert venue full of weeds and memories, or even a shell (the amphitheater was damaged in a fire in 2007).

What he found couldn't have been more different. 

Turns out the entire amphitheater has deep-pocketed new ownership and is undergoing a pretty extensive renovation—to include suites below/behind the stage where touring acts can stay—and a name-shortening from Black Oak Mountain Amphitheater to just Black Oak Amphitheater. Anheuser-Busch is on-board; Coke and Pepsi are slugging it out for the soft drink rights. All of this info came courtesy of a helpful construction foreman.

The manager is Steven White, whom we spoke with this afternoon. He told us he's getting booking help from John McEuan, a founding member of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and producer of Steve Martin's Grammy-winning bluegrass album, and has already booked the amphitheater's kickoff concert on May 30, which he says will be a patriotic affair. A press release announcing specifics is set to go out March 4, the same day as a meet-and-greet with McEwan. What kind of concerts can we expect? Probably no more Ozzy. "Some classic country, some red dirt country, classic rock’n roll," White says. "No rap, no heavy metal. No gospel yet, but I've got some offers out."

The Branson Tri-Lakes News had a story about the amphitheater back in December. The venue's website, blkoakamp.com, says tickets go on sale March 15.

What acts would you like to see play Black Oak? Sound off in the comments.

Matt Lemmon, digital director