Night Ranger + Starship To Debut New Event Center In Virginia

Construction has been rolling along for almost a year and the grand opening date for the new Miners Event and Convention Center (MECC) in Virginia has been set for the week of September 20.  To highlight the opening, organizers have announced the first concert to happen within the complex; 80's rockers Night Ranger and Starship with Mickey Thomas will co-headline the concert that's scheduled for Friday, September 24 with an 8:00 PM show time.

According to details released by the MECC, Night Ranger and Starship have "collectively...sold nearly 40 million records" - with some of the most-recognized songs from the 1980's.  Night Ranger ushered in a new chapter of rock on the pop charts when the debuted in the early part of the decade - with songs like "Don't Tell Me You Love Me", "Four In The Morning", and the power ballad "Sister Christian".  Meanwhile, Starship is the evolution of the band that started as Jefferson Airplane in the 1960's, becoming Jefferson Starship in the 1970's, and finally just "Starship" by the 80's, with hits like "We Built This City", "Sara", and "Tomorrow Doesn't Matter Tonight".

Tickets for the concert aren't on sale yet - but will be soon.  Organizers have 3,500 seats to fill - and expectation is high for doing just that.  While Virginia used to hold high-profile entertainment in the past, there hasn't been a facility available to schedule concerts at in recent years.  The new $38 million facility is hoping to change that.

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Billed the Iron Trail Motors Event Center through a sponsorship deal, the center houses two ice arenas, a 6,400 square foot ballroom - that can be split into four individual sections if needed, two meeting rooms that offer 1,000 square feet of usable space each, and a 320 square foot board room.  The developers are looking to make the Iron Trail Motors Event Center / MECC a destination for business, commerce, sports, and entertainment on the Iron Range.