Welcome to AC Micro

Who we are

Officially established in 1991 and headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, AC Entertainment began in the living room of one man during the late 1970's and has now grown into one of the most successful independently owned entertainment firms in the nation. Over our 17-year history, we have managed, produced and promoted a wide variety of entertainment experiences - from intimate concerts with cutting edge performers; to the wildly successful free downtown concert series Sundown in the City; to the Bonnaroo Music + Arts Festival - the highest grossing rock & roll festival in the world.

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What we do

Currently producing over 500 events in over 20 markets throughout the country, ACE has a long and steady history of effectiveness in event production, talent buying, festival/event consulting, and theatre management. With an extensive staff that includes talent buyers, production specialists, marketing representatives, publicists, theatre administration, as well as in-house graphic design and artist management, AC Entertainment is the premier one-stop, completely full-service company for event production in the entertainment industry. From shepherding the booking, production, staffing, sponsorship, marketing, and promotions for major venues like the Tennessee Theatre to executing a variety of customized services for many other notable venues showcasing nationally touring artistry throughout the region, AC Entertainment is the solution for any aspect of your next affair.

AC Entertainment manages the 1638-seat historic Tennessee Theatre and 758-seat Bijou Theatre in Knoxville, Tennessee. This includes booking and production of shows, theatre staffing, sponsorship, marketing and street team presence.

AC Entertainment helped oversee a $25.5 million renovation of the Tennessee Theatre in 2005 and the re-opening of the Bijou in 2006, and now both theatres offer world class, diverse programming almost nightly. The Tennessee Theatre has hosted such luminary performers as Bob Dylan, B.B. King, Bill Cosby, Morrissey, ZZ Top, Widespread Panic, Smashing Pumpkins and Kings of Leon, as well as performance art and Broadway acts like Tango Fire, Backyardigans, Cirque Dreams, and Chicago. The more intimate Bijou Theatre has featured performances by Jeff Tweedy, Toots and the Maytals, Andrew Bird, of Montreal, TV on the Radio, Louis CK, and others.

In addition to booking and promoting shows, ACE facilitates rentals for corporate functions, social events, local arts groups, other promoters, etc.

In addition to venue management, AC Entertainment is also the exclusive national talent buyer for the Valarium in Knoxville, TN as well as the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC. ACE acts as the primary interface between the clubs and artist management/agents.

The Valarium is a 1200-capacity club in the heart of the warehouse district of downtown Knoxville. In addition to filling the calendar with shows, ACE also handles all of the production and marketing. Cutting edge acts such as N.E.R.D, Girl Talk, the Black Keys, Clutch, Sword, Seether, Sevendust and 10 Years.

The Orange Peel Social Aid and Pleasure Club is a 942-capacity state of the art venue in downtown Asheville. In 2008, Rolling Stone named the Orange Peel one of the top 5 rock clubs in the country. Diverse act from across all genres and decades like the Arcade Fire, Dinosaur Jr., Flaming Lips, Bob Dylan, Ben Harper, Blondie, Spoon, Arrested Development and Sonic Youth have all graced their legendary stage.

Abigail Washburn The rustic and poignant sounds of singer/songwriter and banjo player Abigail Washburn seem so genuine and natural they must come from a person who grew up in love with and surrounded by folk and bluegrass.

However, Washburn grew up singing but had no longing to become a professional musician. Time singing backup in reggae, gospel, and R&B bands was nothing more than "fun," but a trip to China in 1996 changed all that. Picking up the native language faster than she imagined and falling in love with Chinese culture got her to thinking. Reconsidering the culture of her own homeland, Washburn bought a banjo and decided to explore the rich heritage of folk and bluegrass music. Washburn played a mini-tour of China before returning home to record her debut with help from Bela Fleck, Jordan McConnell of the Duhks, and Ryan Hoyle of Collective Soul. The result, Song of the Traveling Daughter, appeared in 2005.

Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet, which features Grammy-winner Bela Fleck, acclaimed cellist Ben Sollee and Grammy-nominated fiddler, Casey Driessen released their debut album, Abigail Washburn & The Sparrow Quartet, on May 20, 2008. Following the album's release, the Sparrow Quartet embarked on a one-hundred plus date tour of North America.

AC Entertainment has a diverse and talented team that is available for consultation in all of our service areas.

AC Entertainment works with every major national booking agency to secure and promote dates throughout the country. In each market, ACE coordinates local press, secures media buys, runs viral and street team campaigns, and produces the show. ACE has long standing relationships with notable acts such as Alison Krauss and Union Station, Tom Waits and Dave Mathews Band.

AC Entertainment continues to set the bar with innovative and successful events all over the country. We are constantly pushing the event production limits with a fresh perspective and limitless vision. Our goal is to completely understand the client's goals and to create a total immersive experience designed to engage the consumer on all sensory levels while leaving them with a positive and lasting impression of your brand.

Our expert team can handle all of the aspects of event creation and production: Event Strategy, Visual Design, Site Selection and Layout, Talent Buying, Event and Production Management, Advertising, Promotions, Media Buying, Viral Marketing, Interactive Strategy and Design, and Licensing.

As one of the nation's largest independent talent buyers, AC Entertainment has the relationships with and access to the industry's premier entertainers as well as the latest up-and-coming independent artists. From concept to production, ACE will manage the contract negotiations, special requests (meet and greets, special appearances, etc.), artist hospitality and digital content rights.

AC Entertainment is unique to most event production and promotion companies in that we house our own graphic design department. From newspaper ads to show posters and event logos, our design division is responsible for some of the hottest looks in the business. Our award winning creative design department can set you apart from the crowd.

Marketing and promotions are the backbone of any successful event. In today's fast-paced climate, consumers are inundated with messages from every angle and it is essential that your campaign be comprehensive, cross-platform and cohesive. ACE's experienced marketing team knows how to cut through the clutter and reach your audience. From traditional media to interactive/social networking and viral marketing, we utilize all potential avenues to get the word out and reach consumers where they live.

Sponsorships and corporate partnerships are another key way to enhance your event. At AC Entertainment, we don't believe in just smacking a sponsor logo onto an event - we create unique interactive brand experiences that allow your customers to truly understand and connect with sponsoring organizations.

Wore we've done

AC Entertainment is one-half of Axis Entertainment, the partnership that produces the annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. Going into its eighth year, Bonnaroo has been recognized by numerous publications, including Rolling Stone and SPIN magazines, as the premier festival experience in the United States.

  • Highest grossing festival world-wide in 2006 ($14M)
  • Held on a massive 700-acre farm, Great State Park, in Manchester Tennessee
  • As many as 100,000 music fans descend on the farm each year
  • Legendary performers including Pearl Jam, Radiohead, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, The Police, Metallica, and B.B. King
  • AC Entertainment handles booking, marketing (including media buys and street team leading up to the festival), and logistics including but not limited to: campground organization, stage placement and building, accessibility issues, ticket scanning, traffic coordination, community relations, artist relations, vendor placement, etc.

The success of Bonnaroo spawned Vegoose, a festival that has taken place at Sam Boyd Stadium and Star Nursery Field in Las Vegas.

  • Ticket sales surpassed 35,000 in its first year
  • Acts including Daft Punk, Iggy and the Stooges, Rage Against the Machine, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Arcade Fire, STS9, Public Enemy, the Killers and Muse
  • In addition to booking, AC Entertainment handles marketing (including media buys and street team leading up to the festival), and logistics including but not limited to: stage placement and building, accessibility issues, ticket scanning, traffic coordination, show production, shuttle buses to/from the Las Vegas Strip to the festival site, artist relations, vendor placement, etc.

City Stages is a world-renowned city festival hosted in downtown Birmingham, Alabama. City Stages is not your typical three-day summer city festival; it truly utilizes its entire downtown to share the culture, heritage and diversity of the area. The series celebrated its 20th anniversary in the summer 2008.

  • Attendance is estimated at over 25,000 a day for the three day event
  • Held in the heart of downtown Birmingham
  • A host of legendary and eclectic performers including the Al Green, Buddy Guy, the Flaming Lips, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, Diana Ross, Michael Franti and Spearhead, the Roots, the Wailers, Robert Earl Keen, Shooter Jennings have all performed on one of many stages
  • ACE handles the booking, show production and overall event consultation

Sea Ray's infamous AquaPalooza is the world's largest boating party. The annual summer event spans over two weekends with more than 82 satellite sites in approximately 35 states/provinces with an estimated 20,000 patrons and 4,300 boats. The signature event is hosted by a different city each year. 2008 marked the 3rd anniversary of this truly unique event.

  • Past sites for the signature event include Knoxville, TN, Prince William County, VA and Lake of the Ozarks, MO
  • The signature event estimates over 2,500 boats in attendance
  • The event is free to the public and is even open to non-boat owners
  • Artists such as Taylor Swift, Everclear, Cracker and Soul Asylum have all performed on the floating stage
  • AC Entertainment handles booking, show production, stage build, artist relations and overall event consultation

Sundown in the City is Knoxville, Tennessee's annual free summer concert series. Every Thursday for twelve weeks in downtown's Market Square, nationally and internationally known artists from across all genres take the stage in front of a capacity crowd. Sundown in the City has been credited for being the catalyst of the redevelopment and resurgence of downtown Knoxville. The series celebrated its 10th anniversary in the summer of 2007.

  • Attendance is estimated at over 12,000 per Thursday
  • The series is free to the public
  • Internationally known performers including the Wailers, George Thorogood and the Destroyers, John Mayer, the Allman Brothers as well as cutting edge acts like Galactic, the Brazilian Girls and Citizen Cope have performed
  • ACE coordinates booking, show production, site build, vendor recruitment and placement, city regulations, law enforcement, merchandise sale, etc.
  • In addition, ACE also secures all sponsorship and promotion, including media buys, street team activity, website and viral marketing, VIP parties, etc.

Tennessee Shines is a live monthly radio show broadcast from the Bijou Theatre in Downtown Knoxville that celebrates Americana music.

  • Grammy award winning singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale hosts the monthly show
  • TheEach show is recorded live from the Bijou in front of a sold-out crowd on the last Wednesday of each month
  • Each show is broadcast live on the internationally acclaimed WDVX (98.9) and through their website (www.wdvx.com)
  • A television version of the show is aired on WBIR, Knoxville's NBC affiliate
  • Luminaries such as the Steel Drivers, Jerry Douglas Band, Red Stick Ramblers, Darrell Scott, Shawn Camp and Carrie Rodriguez have graced the historic stage
  • ACE handles the booking, show production, website design, merchandise design/sales, sponsorship procurement, marketing, etc.

What we believe

At AC Entertainment, we are committed to producing innovative events that celebrate cultural diversity, raise industry standards, and encourage new genres by creating the best possible live entertainment experience. We accomplish this through the intimate connection of artists and audiences as well as enrichment of the overall quality of life in the communities in which we work.

In our community

AC Entertainment supports the communities we serve through financial contributions, donations of tickets/goods for auctions and community events, and volunteer work. In order to be most effective, we have chosen to focus the bulk of our efforts on arts education and accessibility. Organizations that have benefited from our support include Joy of Music School, Actors Co-op, Historic Tennessee Theatre, Knoxville Writers' Guild, Variety - The Children's Charity, and Ijams Nature Center.

Additionally, the Bonnaroo Music + Arts Festival has donated over $1 million since 2002 to national, regional and Coffee County-specific organizations, including: Manchester Arts, Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Coffee County Rescue Squad, Coffee County Sheriff's Department (Christmas Charity), Doctors Without Borders, Manchester Parks and Recreation, Manchester Police Department (Christmas Charity), MusiCares, Partners in Healing, Project Graduation, Road Home Animal Rescue, Habitat for Humanity, Common Ground Relief, Keep Coffee County Beautiful, Coffee County Children's Advocacy Center

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