Fabulous things are happening on Main Street in Park City. Kathryn Burns is resurrecting the late Harry O’s space into a “fabulous nightclub” that will bring in hot music acts from rap to country. As an investor of the late Harry O’s, Burns was given the opportunity to take over the space’s lease when the previous business went bankrupt and was locked out of the building April 28, 2011.
Nightclubs, like the now-closed Suede, Star Bar and Harry O’s, have had difficulty remaining sustainable and viable in the ski-centric mountain town. Whether “due to mismanagement”—as Burns states as the reason for Harry O’s demise—or dwindling numbers in town during the off-season, the secret recipe for making a business flourish is the right connections and know-how, says the longtime strategic consultant.
She at least proved that she could accomplish this vision for a stint when the venue’s doors were re-opened for the first time in nearly nine months for 10 days during the 2012 Sundance Film Festival under the name Park City Live (427 Main, 801-414-0245, ParkCityLive.net). Because of her business connections as a strategy consultant at McKinsey and Co., she says she was able to bring in talent like Akon, OneRepublic and Drake, and says it was an “enormous success.”
Next came the venue’s official launch. Park City Live, a name that Burns says might change, held a decadent kick-off event, the White Party, on March 31 with over 900 attendees, including an all-white Chewbacca.
In years past, Harry O’s had a reputation as a place to let loose your inhibitions and was sometimes even referred to by the locals as “Scary Hoes.” But after stripping away the gritty nightclub elements, like cages for dancers, the venue holds an intimate, historic appeal that provides performers the opportunity to get up close and personal with the audience.
Burns thinks of Park City as “the new Aspen,” and says it’s developing into a “sophisticated, diverse ski town that attracts people from across the country and abroad.” And Burns is hoping to attract as diverse a lineup. Thus far, Park City Live has announced it will host Gabriel & Dresden on May 12, and KASKADE’s Freaks of Nature Tour on July 31, with more to be announced.
The lineup seems fairly one-dimensional, but like the venue’s name, it is in the works. “We are striving to make Park City Live known for its wide selection of music and to be considered the only place in Utah where you can see talent of this magnitude in such an intimate venue,” Burns says. “I am confident that this historical building will be filled with many nights to remember.”
More by Katherin Nelson
-
Rodrigo y Gabriela
Mexican acoustic duo Rodrigo y Gabriela return to rock roots
- Jul 11, 2013
-
Os Mutantes
Brazilian's band's musical evolution
- May 9, 2013
-
Night Sweats
Local indie-rockers release new EP
- Jan 24, 2013
- More »
Latest in Music
Readers also liked…
-
The Alpines Head North
Local band's debut concept album finds musical bliss in the apocalypse.
- Feb 7, 2024
