Uptown Sound collaborates with Brass Hall parent company
STAFF WRITER JOANNA KOPP
EDITOR’S NOTE: In a previous published article about Uptown Sound, we incorrectly stated the venue had been sold to Elevated Minds Music Group. This was incorrect as Corey and Melissa Whitaker have not sold it and are still the owners. We apologize for this error and any problems it might have caused.
MARBLE FALLS — Uptown Sound in downtown Marble Falls is partnering with the people behind Brass Hall, another Marble Falls entertainment establishment.
On July 1, Uptown Sound owners Corey and Melissa Whitaker struck a deal with Norman Lucas, CEO of Elevated Minds Music Group, the parent company for Brass Hall.
“Brass Hall has had some pretty awesome talent, it’s just so small,” Corey Whitaker said. “The idea of having some bigger talent in Marble Falls will be amazing, and our venue will be big enough to take care of that.”
Elevated Minds will book talent, host events, and manage the bar for Uptown. While Elevated Minds will play a hand in operations, Whitaker and his wife are sole owners of the Uptown Sound business, which leases the building from Russell Buster.
Elevated Minds is a multimedia company specializing in production, recording, and distribution of entertainment. The company is headquartered in New Orleans and has markets in Dallas, Austin, Houston, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Atlanta.
“With our background at Brass Hall bringing such artists as Stoney LaRue, Randy Rogers, Ray Benson, Bob Schneider, and many others, we felt we could help Uptown,” Lucas said.
The Whitakers purchased the business in 2016. It is their passion project; they also own Pinnacle Water Tanks, also based in Marble Falls. The couple struck a deal with Lucas to give themselves a break from Uptown operations and become more involved with growing Pinnacle.
“Uptown Sound is our labor of love and our part to revitalize downtown,” Whitaker said. “My family is proud to be doing our part to make Marble Falls a destination place for live music.”
Elevated Minds plans to bring concerts, classic movie screenings, and speaking engagements as well as private events such as weddings and corporate affairs to the theater. The booking team has shows lined up for September and is currently slotting the lineup for FiestaJAM on Lake Marble Falls.
“Our goal is to make Marble Falls an entertainment destination,” Lucas said. “We feel we can bring something new and fresh to the historic theater and the community of the Highland Lakes area.”
Throughout the years, the theater has closed its curtains again and again, but it has always found a way to open those curtains back up.
The Uptown opened in 1942 as a venue for traveling entertainment and movies. At one point, a fire ravaged the building, leaving the owners at that time with no choice but to close its doors.
It remained closed for a period of time until it reopened as the Marble Theater in 1976, only to be shuttered once again when the ShowBiz Cinemas multiplex opened in town.
In 2004, Buster and investment partner Brooks Blake bought out the theater and invested tens of thousands of dollars in upgrades. Despite their efforts to bring it up as the city’s premier entertainment center, the Uptown closed after a decade-long run.
Last year, the Whitakers purchased the business to showcase live music and classic movies.
A recording studio was installed in the green room, called Uptown Sound Studio, which has since been removed.
The Uptown theater is located at 218 Main St. in Marble Falls.