When the Fishers Town Council had the first iteration of the Amphitheater under construction, I recall a lengthy discussion among the council members. The town planned to create a part-time position within the Parks and Recreation Department to handle booking the acts appearing on the new stage.
I wondered how Fishers would be able to land a person with the contacts and background to book the acts for that new facility on a part-time basis. Previously, the town had provided Tuesday night concerts at the entrance to Town Hall (now City Hall). The crowds had grown so much, Fishers had to make a decision – either stop the concerts or construct a facility to handle the increased crowds.
The Town Council decided to build an amphitheater. The stage and overall facility would only be able to handle musical groups of a certain size with the limited amount of stage space available.
Fishers hired Bob McCutcheon for that part-time job. Bob told me many times how hard it was in the early years to sell acts on performing at a facility no one knew at the time. But over a period of years, Bob started getting return phone calls from booking agents and the Fishers Nickel Plate Amphitheater gained a reputation as a place that would draw a decent crowd.
When those crowds began to grow, the City of Fishers had another decision to make – should the Amphitheater and surrounding facility be upgraded? The mayor and city council said yes, and the Amphitheater was dramatically upgraded, with the renovated facility opening about a year ago.
Bob McCutcheon should be proud of his success in growing the size of the crowds and the quality of the entertainment at the Fishers Nickel Plate Amphitheater.
However, something happened just a few days ago. Bob McCutcheon resigned his position. Bob did not want to talk about the details when I spoke with him recently. I can surmise something went sour in his relationship with the city, because someone in Bob’s position, in the middle of a summer music series he largely arranged, normally does not resign at this point in the season.
Bob is landing on his feet. He and local building contractor Dennis Collins are teaming up and creating Encore Promotions. Bob says he plans to promote concerts throughout the state of Indiana in indoor and outdoor venues through the Encore venture.
The circumstances under which Bob parted company with the Fishers Parks & Recreation Department may be unclear, but one thing is clear – Bob contributed greatly to the City of Fishers and helped build a culture of music lovers with his live summer concerts. I would hope someone, or some local organization, will honor Bob for the work he did for the city over a number of years.
It will be a challenge for the city to find a replacement for Bob. In the meantime, let’s give Bob the credit he is due.