Rocking a new name, this Columbia venue will be booking more acts

Music Farm in Columbia now will be known as The Senate and will expand bookings by at least 30 percent, according to Tin Roof, which leases the property housing Music Farm in Columbia.

“In transitioning the venue from the Music Farm brand to its own distinct, standalone identity as The Senate . . . we intend to continue to grow Columbia’s standing as a destination for national touring bands,” said Bob Franklin, CEO of Tin Roof.

Tin Roof and Music Farm both have been awarded the “Best Live Music” honor numerous times in local readers’ polls.

Tin Roof, a casual restaurant, bar and live music destination based in Nashville, opened its location on Senate Street in downtown Columbia in September 2010. In September 2014, after leasing the 12,000-square-foot warehouse next door, Tin Roof invested more than $2 million in renovations and launched the space as a concert venue and brought in the Music Farm team from Charleston to manage bookings and promotions under the Music Farm brand.

“In 2014, we felt there was a void in concert options between the smaller venues and the larger arenas in the Columbia market,” Franklin said. “At that time, the right move was to partner with the Music Farm team from Charleston for booking and management. Now, we believe the time is right to give Columbia its own concert venue brand, The Senate."

All currently announced shows at the Music Farm will continue as planned at The Senate. All tickets purchased through Music Farm will still be valid for entry with no required further actions needed by purchasers.

Upcoming shows feature Will Hoge, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Lauv and more. The 1,200-capacity live entertainment venue, located next door to Tin Roof on Senate Street in The Vista district in downtown Columbia, features state-of-the-art audio/visual capabilities, a variety of hospitality offerings, and an outdoor bar and patio. View venue details and schedule for The Senate at http://www.thesenatecolumbia.com.

AEG Presents, one of the world’s largest live music companies, has a regional office in Columbia and has had a large presence at the venue already, booking successful shows such as the opening night concert of J. Cole's world tour, Third Eye Blind, Brett Young, St. Paul & the Broken Bones and many others.

AEG Presents already has booked a number of national touring shows at The Senate for 2018, with more on the way.

“We look forward to increasing our presence in Columbia and partnering with The Senate to bring the most exciting acts in the country to Columbia,” stated Allen Corbett, VP of AEG Presents Carolinas.

Current staff leadership will remain in place after the transition. Derrick Osborne, who has been general manager at Tin Roof and Music Farm Columbia since moving to Columbia in summer 2017, will continue as general manager of Tin Roof and The Senate. Osborne has been with Tin Roof since 2011.

Matt Buck, production manager at Music Farm Columbia, will continue in that role at The Senate, assuming additional venue management responsibilities as well. Stacee Freeman will continue to manage private event bookings for The Senate.

This story was originally published May 15, 2018 at 2:40 PM with the headline "Rocking a new name, this Columbia venue will be booking more acts."