BY MELISSA RUGGIERI/AJC Music Scene
The folks at Mercedes-Benz Stadium know that concert fans aren't convinced that the venue can produce an optimal audio experience.
You might recall that the first show at the mega-palace - Garth Brooks in October - had many concertgoers using terms such as "sad" and "disappointed" to describe their experience, primarily because of muddled sound issues that plagued the show.
This Saturday, Kenny Chesney and some of his country pals (Thomas Rhett, Old Dominion and Brandon Lay) will perform at MBS for the first concert since Brooks.
Jared Miller, chief digital officer and senior vice president of technology for AMB Sports and Entertainment, led a walk-thru Monday morning of certain parts of the stadium to explain how and what they've done to mitigate some of the problems, such as installing speakers in nearly 100 suites and hiring an acoustician to take acoustic measurements.
It will also likely help that, unlike Brooks' in-the-round stage, Chesney's is a traditional end-stage setup. Chesney will perform at about the 20-yard line of the field (Brooks' stage was erected on the 50-yard line) with his back to the wall of windows, so the sound will be projected away from one of the main culprits at Brooks' concert.
"We recognized very clearly that there was room for improvement," Miller said. "And we're not done. This is the type of venue that will hold all types of events and we need to be prepared for that."
The AJC will have more on this story in Saturday's Metro section.
