Napavine Amphitheater to Host First Concert Since 2011

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The Prohibition Band was just looking for a place to play some music this weekend when they stumbled upon the opportunity to play in a Napavine venue that hasn’t seen any performers in almost five years.

Ron Parker, one of the band’s guitarists, said the band posted on Facebook that it was looking for a spot to play when someone from the city of Napavine contacted them.

Things seemed to work out for the band, and for the community of Napavine, as city officials hope the concert brings more shows to the amphitheater, which has long sat empty.

The last concert held at the amphitheater was the Napavine Foundation Benefit Concert for Missing Children in September 2011. 

Prior to that, the venue, which can seat about 700 people and has standing room for about 1,200, had a steady stream of entertainment fill its stage. The facility was essentially shuttered after Todd Meikle, the former manager of the Napavine Amphitheater, stepped away from his position, Haney said. 

“Nobody really stepped in to take it over and to continue the concerts, which was kind of disappointing,” Jenifer Slemp, a Napavine city councilor, said. 

Now the concert venue, which once provided a stage for such acts as Merle Haggard and Sara Evans, will come back to life as The Prohibition Band puts on a free concert this Saturday.

“We are pretty entertaining,” Parker said. “We play a lot of good old southern rock country, and some newer rock and country. We try to keep them having fun and laughing.”

The Prohibition Band, based near the Chehalis area, has been performing since 2011. Its newest member, Jake Garrison, joined the group in 2015.

Along with Garrison and Parker, the two other members include Brittany Voie, a web developer for The Chronicle, and Sean Ghere. 



Parker said he had been to quite a few concerts at the Napavine Amphitheater and is excited to play in the same venue as some of the big-time names.

Years back, Parker watched his childhood hero David Allan Coe perform at the venue.

“It’s cool to play in the footprints of these bands,” he said. “I listened to his music since I was a little kid, and to play in the same spot he did, I think that’s cool.” 

City officials hope the Prohibition Band has started a new trend to get performances back into the venue. 

“I hope that people get behind it and support this,” Slemp said. 

The Napavine Foundation held a work party in September 2015 to help clean up the amphitheater. The rotten stage was torn out, and now a concrete slab remains for performers to utilize, Slemp said. 

Overall, both Slemp and Haney said the feedback from the community has been positive. 

Haney said she hopes someone will come forward to once again organize a concert series in the future.