Will there be concerts at Epic’s proposed 13,000-seat auditorium?
If you don’t personally work at Epic Systems in Verona, you’ve probably just pieced together your perception of the health care software giant through anecdotal evidence. “I heard they give you three months’ vacation a year.” “My co-worker knows a cook there, and Epic flew her to France to learn French cooking.” “They will dry-clean your children during your lunch break.” We’ve all heard them.
These are mostly made-up—though a friend really did tell me the thing about French cooking—so none of this should be taken at face value. But The A.V. Club knows we’re not alone in speculating about one of Dane County’s mega-employers. That’s why, when Channel 3000 reported yesterday about the company’s proposal to build a massive auditorium—13,000 seats, which would make it the third largest in Dane County, behind the Kohl Center and Camp Randall—we had to wonder for what else that crazy-big venue could be used. Epic explained in its presentation to the plan commission that the venue would be used for the company’s annual “user group meeting,” which routinely draws crowds of more than 10,000 people. It’s probably awesome, like the TED conference.
The Epicenter (as it’s awesomely labeled in the drawing accompanying the article) seems just a little too cool to be used only once a year. Would Epic at least consider getting Radiohead, Drake, or a newly reunited LCD Soundsystem to come perform when the Epicenter (tentatively finished in 2013 if it’s okayed) is up and running? And if so, can we non-Epic people be invited? I can’t speak for everyone, but I think it’d be fun. I’d even be willing to pay some money.
