CARLTON FLETCHER: ‘Best-kept-secret’ venue Sweetland is a gem worth seeing

“So ya thought ya might like to go to a show.”

— Pink Floyd

For the cynical among us — and I guess that would include all of us at some time or another — the name, Sweetland Amphitheatre seems, well, too sweet, cloying even. How, our cynical selves reason, can any place live up to such a moniker?

But until you’ve been to the amazing concert venue in LaGrange, about 140 miles or so north of Albany, you have no grounds on which to judge. Once you have been to the venue, though, you come away a believer, certain that the LaGrange folks knew what they were doing when they named this place.

I skirted along the edge of LaGrange proper many years ago, and if I had been asked before this weekend to describe that trip, it would have been something like “one straight shot along Hamilton Road off Interstate 185, with scattered houses and businesses along the way.” There was nothing I could say, based on my vague memories, for or against the city.

But a serendipitous trip to the middle Georgia community this weekend to watch veteran musical acts Los Lobos and Steve Earle — both of whom were amazing — changed all that.

The first surprise was the bustling downtown district that was crowded with patrons early Saturday evening. It reminded me of the Thomasville and Moultrie business districts, except LaGrange had maybe more of the quaint mom-and-pop type businesses and restaurants that draw shoppers from all over.

The amphitheater — Sweetland — is just past the bustling downtown, but within close enough walking distance to give it part of the energy that is apparent. Driving up to the venue offers no hint as to what’s in store once you get close enough to take it all in, though.

First thing you notice: The venue is beautiful in a way that few such locations can manage. The entrance is located on a rise with a beautiful breezeway that is significant for its artwork — metal sculptures of a guitarist, drummer and their dog — as well as its architecturally pleasing roominess.

Once you walk down the steps of the entryway and get to the grassy area that overlooks the seating and stage, you’ll be taken by the lushness of the well-tended lawn. Seating, which is done in tiers and actually offers comfort rare at such a venue, gives ample room for, as one patron noted, “those of us who need a little more room for our cabooses.”

The stage is well-lighted, and there is excellent access and opportunity to photograph artists as they perform. (Go to AlbanyHerald.com to see photo galleries from the Los Lobos and Steve Earle shows.)

As much as the venue itself has going for it, the best thing about Sweetland — and maybe even LaGrange itself — is the kindness and helpfulness of the folks who run the amphitheatre. From the will-call personnel to the ticket scanners to the venue staff who help patrons find their seats to the security personnel to the managers of the venue, there were no “discouraging words” over the course of the visit.

A quick visit to the VIP area — which, by the way, is well worth the additional cost because delicious food and alcoholic beverages are free, clean restrooms are only a few steps away from up-front seats, and there are chiller fans to cool things off on a hot day — gives visitors another opportunity to experience what Sweetland staff call “our own brand of Southern hospitality.”

The folks at Sweetland proudly call their venue “one of Georgia’s best-kept secrets,” and they’re right. It’s one of those places you’ll go to for a show even if you’re not that big a fan of the entertainer.

We came upon Sweetland by good old plain dumb luck. We were looking for musical shows in the region and found out Steve Earle — a favorite — was playing there. The drive was easy — a little more than two hours, four-lane all the way — and there was not one single issue that would cause me to warn people away. There are two more shows at Sweetland planned for this season — Boys II Men and Kip Moore — then they start working on the next.

I highly recommend you check out either or both of those shows if you’re fans of those artists, or that you keep an eye out for future shows. The experience will be well worth the cost and time it takes for southwest Georgians to make the trip.

Sweetland … yes, it is. And I’ve got a feeling, as word gets around, it’s not going to be too much of a secret much longer.